Wildlife World: Bears | Free Documentary Nature

[Music] the animal kingdom a remarkable array of living breathing natural wonders [Music] compelling ingenious [Music] and extraordinary fascinating physical visceral and ferocious [Music] discover their past present and future just stunning just glorious just amazing [Music] just [Music] bears they are some of the largest strongest mammals roaming the planet young boisterous cubs have a charming cuddly appeal their lush fur and lovable antics inspiring generations of toy makers as adults however bears are daunting their impressive size and formidable presence commands respect in times past some cultures feared bears to the point that it was taboo to call them by their true name akto to avoid summoning these dangerous creatures the superstitious would use safer descriptive terms such as bear an old english word meaning the brown or dark one [Music] antarctica and australia are the only continents that bears don't inhabit [Music] with such large numbers seen in other parts of the world it may be surprising to learn that there are only eight different bear species in existence [Music] as a group bears are often described as dog-like this resemblance can be seen in their muzzles other standard features include thick coats of fur large pores with long claws small round ears plus short tails together these traits combine to form one awesome [Music] beast [Music] in biological terms bears are many things they are vertebrates animals with backbones having a sturdy spine is one feature that puts them into the class of mammals [Music] the fact that they're warm warm-blooded have fur and give birth to live young that nurse on milk are other specific mammalian characteristics [Music] the next rung of the taxonomic ladder has bears placed in the carnivora order mammals with claws and teeth for capturing and eating prey not all members are pure carnivores or meat eaters some are omnivores adding plant material to their diet [Music] the caniforms are a sub order a name that means doglike [Music] wolves and other canids plus seals otters the red panda and raccoons are some of the animals in this group bears are another they make up the ursaday family this name coming from the latin word for bear bears all have large stocky bodies covered in a thick double coat of fur [Music] a short undercoat close to the skin traps in heat while the longer guard hairs repel water [Music] bears have sturdy heads to match their brawny bodies with broad skulls and large powerful jaws [Music] the lips on a bear have a loose rubbery appearance perhaps due to the fact they are not attached to their gums inside their mouths bears are equipped with large canine teeth [Music] which are more for defensive displays than dining flat molars crush their food [Music] moving down to their feet a bear's pores have five digits with non-retractable claws like their canine cousins those on the front paws are longer than the hindsets [Music] while some large animals walk on their toes bears get around using what's called plantagrade locomotion with their feet landing flat on the ground [Music] some like polar bears have hairy well-insulated souls natural snowshoes in contrast species that climb tend to have naked soles for better grip the claws on climbing bears are strong and curved better for wrapping around tree trunks [Music] diggers like grizzly bears have long straight claws a common warning is to never run from a bear as predators they will chase and knowing they can hit speeds over 60 kilometers per hour there is no point [Music] what's more they can charge along at these speeds going uphill or down or across a slope up in the trees bears can be equally zippy [Music] intelligent strong daunting apt descriptors for these extraordinary mammals [Music] the world's eight bear species can be found in a wide variety of habitats throughout the northern hemisphere and in a few regions to the south of the equator [Music] brown bears enjoy the widest distribution roaming various continents in the northern hemisphere the largest member of the family is the polar bear males or he-bears can weigh up to half a ton the largest ever recorded was twice that females or she-bears are roughly half the size of the males from nose to tail males can measure up to three meters on all fours they stand about a meter tall when they rear up onto their hind legs their immense size becomes fully apparent polar bears sit at the top of the food chain they are the world's largest terrestrial carnivore seals are their favorite food as their name suggests the chile arctic is their domain polar bears equally at home on the ice as they are in the bitterly cold water [Music] due to their reliance on the ocean they are the only bears considered to be marine mammals the next largest members of the family are brown bears there is no mistaking these mammals are bears their scientific name ursus actos makes sure of this both words mean bear from latin and greek respectively they are a diverse group with more than 10 sub-species inhabiting regions in europe north america asia and the middle east despite their name brown bears can have a variety of coat colours ranging from pale cream to dark brunettes [Music] a well-known subspecies of brown bear is the grizzly from north america named for the silvery tips on their fur giving their coats a grizzled or streaked appearance they can be distinguished from other brown bears thanks to a large hump on their shoulders american black bears might be the smallest bear found on its namesake continent but they have the greatest population numbers in the entire family they range from canada down to mexico [Music] mature black bears can grow to a length of two meters compared to round bears they have longer ears and smaller shoulder humps [Music] with respect to their coat colour this bear's name is misleading they apparently come in a greater range of hues than any other north american mammal east coast black bears tend to be darker while their west coast cousins display lighter shades the komodi bear from islands of british columbia in canada is an extreme example also known as spirit or ghost bears these individuals are not albinos like other black bears they have dark noses and pores the pale coat of a spirit bear is the result of recessive jeans at work if both parents have these genes their cub develops a white coat in this isolated population approximately one in ten black bears will display this rare unusual trait [Music] asian black bears are easy to tell from their american relatives as they have a bright v-shaped marking on their chest sometimes called moon bears these mammals are found in mountainous forest areas [Music] sloth bears have similar markings plus light muzzles and bushy coats these mammals are found in sri lanka and india plus in northern regions such as nepal and bangladesh spectacled bears are the only species native to south america these mid-sized bears are named for the white fur that surrounds their eyes with their bold black and white fur there's no mistaking the giant panda an endangered species native to china large round heads and stocky bodies are characteristic of these beloved pairs which can grow to a shoulder height of 70 centimeters with so few wild pandas remaining many live in sanctuaries and zoos safe havens to ensure their ongoing survival [Music] the eighth member of the bear family is the sun bear the smallest of their kind similar in size to a large dog like some of its cousins this bear has a chest patch theirs looks like a rising sun at around 65 kilos these lightweights are tree dwellers the malay name for these bears means he who likes to sit high [Music] one bear-like creature that also likes to sit high is the koala these native australian animals are often called koala bears yet this is a misnomer as they are not theirs they are in fact marsupials [Music] red pandas are also not part of the bear family taxonomists have placed them in their own unique group from lush rainforests to arctic sea ice bears have successfully mastered an amazing range of domains bears are intelligent mammals rivaling the great apes [Music] brains and braun have no doubt helped these robust animals survive and flourish in such a broad range of environments around the globe in addition theirs have a vast array of adaptations and special skills to call on to assist them in their daily lives one of their best assets is their fur [Music] these lush dual layered coats have a variety of functions [Music] one is to keep the bear warm [Music] bears are further insulated by a layer of fat under their skin on a polar bear that layer can be 10 centimeters thick [Music] to the eye their dense coats appear to be white or cream but the individual strands are actually translucent this allows sunlight to penetrate their fur and be absorbed by their black skin a polar bear's fur demonstrates another important role played by their coat camouflage in their icy environment these massive predators can blend in and sneak up on any potential means [Music] the striking bands on a panda are thought to be a disruptive pattern breaking up their outline when amongst foliage allowing them to hide in plain sight from any lurking danger [Music] there is a theory about the chest markings on species like sun bears and sloth bears when fighting they could make them seem larger to their opponent [Music] when in dense forests american black bears are well camouflaged researchers believe their coats may offer them an additional more unusual kind of protection dark fur is rich in a pigment known as melanin it's been noted that black feathers in birds are scratch resistant [Music] some believe that black fur may have the same hardy quality [Music] strong claws are another vital feature for climbing species they can grip into tree bark [Music] on a polar bear they dig into the ice providing traction claws can also help a hungry bear dig out a meal or hold prey [Music] backed up by muscular limbs and large pores they make formidable weapons for both attack and defense purposes [Applause] [Music] the flexible front paws of a giant panda have a special additional feature an opposable thumb-like structure this enlarged wrist bone is useful for holding and manipulating their favorite food bamboo all bears can swim but polar bears are especially strong in the water also known as sea bears their four paws are slightly webbed and work like paddles the hind feet are in charge of steering these marine mammals have been observed to swim for over 160 kilometers without resting polar bears front pores make excellent snow shovels as well perfect for carving out a den in a snow bank watching a bear walk they seem to be bow-legged this does not hinder their gait instead their curved limbs give these large mammals good balance [Music] brown bears have a habit of standing on their hind legs to get a better view of their surroundings or to reach food their rear pores are larger than the front pair giving them a sturdy solid base like their canine relatives bears are scent-oriented animals the inner surface of their muzzle is covered with millions of olfactory nerves compared to a bloodhound a bear's sense of smell is seven times greater their keen noses can detect food sources more than 30 kilometers away [Music] a polar bear can smell a seal below a meter of ice food is not the only thing their noses can find they can sniff out potential mates locate their cubs and sense any approaching threats a bear's hearing is also superior similar to that of a dog including a sensitivity to high-pitched noises asian black bears have the largest ears in the family compared to other carnivores bears have unusually shaped ear flaps they have round cups as opposed to triangular on every species except pandas the ears can rotate and focus in on interesting sounds [Music] in terms of vision bears have good eyesight and can see in color their slit shaped pupils open wide in low light giving them excellent night vision as well [Music] thanks to their acute senses and clever adaptations every bear is well equipped to tackle life's challenges modern bears have been around for hundreds of thousands of years their ancestors date back to the dinosaur age small insect-eating mammals known as myasids eventually they gave rise to carnivores such as bears dogs and cats the oldest known bear the dawn bear existed 20 million years ago similar in size to a small dog giant pandas split away from the rest of their bear cousins about 3 million years ago one of its earliest ancestors was the pygmy giant panda half the size of its modern counterpart brown black and polar bears are thought to have shared a common ancestor about four million years ago today bears have many close relatives canids as previously mentioned plus seals or pinnipeds and musterloids a broad group including red pandas skunks weasels and raccoons the close ties between bears and raccoons has not gone unnoticed in many parts of europe and asia these masked mammals are known as washing bears thanks to their habit of dunking their food in water a close look and compare the family resemblances are strong [Music] spend time watching bears and they will gradually reveal a fascinating array of natural behaviors in general bears are solitary creatures large animals they require considerable amounts of food not having to share resources is a wise survival strategy [Music] an obvious exception to this is seen with mother bears caring for cubs as a group they are not territorial animals when home ranges overlap they will tolerate another bear's presence when bears are active depends on the species for example with polar bears when they are not on the prowl for food they are resting day and night are terms that don't apply to these animals of the arctic depending on the time of year they are either in total light or complete darkness in a 24 hour period polar bears will sleep for seven to eight hour stretches with additional naps conserving energy for the next hunt is a top priority if polar bears do encounter each other the smaller of the two will usually back off and leave [Music] in comparison brown bears can be active at any time but generally forage in the morning and evening spending the greater part of the day resting [Music] seasonal changes in food supplies can be highly motivating brown bears are known to travel great distances to browse plentiful berry crops regions with salmon-rich streams are also on their internal radar when food supplies are abundant these bears become more social coming together in large numbers foraging in family groups while brown bears can swim they are terrestrial beings [Music] as cubs they are capable of climbing mature brown bears don't or probably can't climb due to their bulk [Music] in contrast american black bears of any age are excellent climbers mother bears often leave their cubs in the safety of babysitter trees while they forage below giant pandas are also at home up in the branches asian black bears have a habit of making nests high in trees squashing down branches to create a leafy platform to rest in sun bears also like to lounge around in leafy tree tops [Music] bears living in cooler climates are often said to sleep through the winter to avoid extreme conditions and low food supplies while this behavior is often called hibernation this is a misconception instead these animals slow down and enter what's known as a state of torpor true hibernators drop their heart rates and body temperatures to match their environment they will not rouse despite loud noises or if they're touched in contrast an animal in torpa has a slow heart rate but their body temperature stays relatively high and should the need arise they can wake up quickly and easily bears in torpor survive by using fat reserves stored in their bodies during warmer months while dormant like this bears do not defecate their bodies recycle the waste materials she bears in torpa can however give birth [Music] bears from hotter climates have no need for this type of behavior as food supplies are plentiful year-round [Music] while bears aren't territorial they do wrestle [Music] during these play fights bears are actually communicating telling each other who's in charge size helps but a domineering attitude is what wins these debates growling adds to the show bears will fight for real if it's absolutely necessary but the risk of injury is a good deterrent why get hurt when a domineering posture can subdue a rival smart behaviors like this give bears the edge they need to survive in the wild getting the chance to see a bear right from the start of its life is rare as rare as this sun bear and her newborn in captive breeding situations baby sun bears arrive after a gestation period of three months being a vulnerable species every cub is precious here's the same cub a few weeks on with plenty of care and attention it's progressing well [Music] so is another zooborn a spectacled bear cub after exploring down on the ground this adventurous youngster is taking things to a new level [Music] as a vulnerable species many giant pandas are born as a result of captive breeding programs every effort is made to ensure these special babies have the best start in life by the time they're four months old panda cubs are able to run and climb [Music] young pandas start to chew on bamboo when they reach the six month mark [Music] up in the arctic polar bear cubs don't emerge from their warm dens until they're roughly three months old [Music] fresh air and sunshine are new experiences for these fluffy cubs polar bear milk is rich up to 36 fat the average litter size is two which means the cubs don't have much competition for food or attention brown bear cubs arrive in the winter she bears can have up to four in a litter [Music] as newborns these feisty brown bundles would have weighed half a kilo [Music] nursing on their mother's milk the cubs grow quickly by three months they average 15 kilograms mother brown bears can produce milk for two and a half years [Music] but her offspring do start to enjoy a more varied diet from five months onward mother bears alone raise their cubs by watching her they learn vital life skills such as fishing patience is the key finally fresh salmon is on the menu [Music] elsewhere some other cubs are giving themselves an aquatic workout play fighting hones their hunting and defensive skills while strengthening growing bodies [Music] brown bear cubs usually stay with their mum until their third or fourth spring by then she's ready to raise another litter [Music] young brown bears can start breeding sometime between their fourth and sixth birthdays they do however take a decade to become fully grown if they survive their first few years brown bears can live for 20 to 30 years in the wild in the wilds of india a mother sloth bear is enjoying some solitude while her cubs wrestle amongst the rocks sloth bear cubs start to explore the wider world when they're 9 to 12 weeks of age [Music] these shaggy mothers offer their babies an unusual form of transport sloth bears are the only bears that carry their young on their backs cubs cling on to an extra clump of back fur known as a saddle baby sloth bears enjoy the free ride until they're six to nine months old cubs stay with their mother until their second or third birthday learning how to survive in their habitat youngshi bears are able to start raising cubs of their own after they turn three but are often [Music] older in the wild sloth bears have a life expectancy of 20 to 30 years plenty of time to explore their fascinating part of the world every bear species has its own particular needs when it comes to habitat and diet [Music] as marine mammals polar bears depend on the ocean in particular the ice [Music] they need it to hunt from the edges of the pack ice or cracks along it are prime locations [Music] anywhere a seal might surface throughout the year they migrate across the frozen landscape following the moving ice [Music] polar bears have stamina they can travel more than 30 kilometers a day for several days [Music] diet wise polar bears are the only pure carnivores in the family their stomachs can hold about 70 kilos of meat one seal can provide a mature bear with sufficient energy to last them eight days ringed seals are their main prey other seals plus walruses sea birds fish and carrion also make up their diet for the moment this bear has an entire whale carcass to itself sometimes a polar bear will only eat an animal's blubber in their harsh environment fat has a higher value than meat as it adds to their own insulating layer [Music] after a hearty meal polar bears will groom rubbing themselves on the ice is an easy way to clean their fur these cubs have already mastered this valuable life skill [Music] in contrast brown bears have adapted to a wide range of environments they can exist in open meadows mountainous forests even harsh tundra [Music] when they require a den they can dig one out using dry vegetation for bedding [Music] unlike their polar cousins brown bears are omnivores animals that eat meat and plant material using their claws they can unearth fungi roots and insects plus small mammals from their burrows as the seasons change so does their diet for example summer is a time of berries tubers bulbs and salmon like many anglers brown bears have favorite fishing spots they will do what they can to reserve theirs to ensure others can't take advantage of it all in the timing from the end of the summer through to early autumn brown bears dramatically increase their food intake this binge eating is known as hypophagia its purpose to help the bear stack on plenty of fat reserves to see them through their dormant winter denning period while all bears are classed as carnivores giant pandas have gone against their nature they are vegetarians in the wild they live in forests with stands of lush bamboo their leafy fibrous diet is an odd choice having a digestive tract designed to break down meat makes bamboo a low quality energy source [Music] the majority of what they do eat passes through undigested which leaves them devoting roughly 14 hours a day to eating in order to gain what little benefit they can 15 kilos of bamboo is the minimum daily requirement these bears are fast eaters they can peel and devour a bamboo shoot in approximately 40 seconds when swallowing giant pandas have an especially thick esophagus to protect them from splinters traveling down to their stomachs [Music] sun bears enjoy a varied diet their keen sense of smell helping them locate ripe fruits and berries plus insects small birds rodents and lizards their 10 centimeter long claws are handy tools for ripping into old logs to expose the protein-rich buffet hiding [Music] within [Music] sun bears have especially long tongues perfect for accessing the contents of beehives this habit earning these sweet tooths the nickname honey bear as big animals bears play an equally large role in their respective environments in the arctic polar bears are considered a keystone species a creature connected to many others in their local food web the leftovers from their meals feed other bears arctic foxes and snowy owls polar bears keep seal populations in check which in turn ensures salmon numbers remain at healthy levels brown bears also act as apex predators in their ecosystems keeping balance in the food chain when hunting they weed out the sick and weak ensuring the strongest and fittest survive boosting the overall health of the animal community bears also scavenge cleaning up carcasses that would otherwise spread disease and pollute a locality with the majority of bare species being omnivores these large mammals help with seed dispersal and promote new plant growth an additional gardening duty is fertilization bears making generous deposits during their travels in a way bears are like furry custodians ensuring the health and well-being of their wild neighborhoods for countless generations bears have been making an impact on the world in the northern hemisphere they are celebrated every evening with stargazers picking out the constellations dedicated to these impressive mammals ursa major the great bear and ursa miner the little bear [Music] commodi or spirit bears are naturally eye-catching but they hold special meaning to some native american cultures who believe these rare creatures have supernatural powers depictions of bears often feature on traditional totem poles symbolizing hard work strength and great love culturally bears were regarded as teachers it is believed they taught people to collect berries and catch salmon [Music] finland and russia hold brown bears in such high regard they are their national animals symbols of pride and power in america the mighty grizzly bear roams the flag of california where it is also the state animal in western popular culture bears have long been cherished the beloved stars of countless fairy tales and children's books while the real thing can be fearsome the toy versions of these mammals are soft cuddly and friendly bringing a sense of calm and contentment with them bears are so adored some and national treasures like the giant panda in china their striking black and white fur is seen as a natural version of the famous yin yang symbol it is believed the gentle nature of pandas is proof how two opposing forces can bring peace and harmony when in balance in line with this belief giant pandas themselves are symbols of peace these distinctive creatures are also popular icons of wildlife conservation groups every aspect of pandas is special even their waste their bamboo rich deposits have been recycled into useful paper products [Music] in recent times chinese new year was extra festive thanks to the arrival of 17 giant panda cubs each precious baby an adorable sign of hope not only for pandas but the entire bear family [Music] in times past there were hundreds of their species of the eight that remain today only two are considered healthy and viable as a population one of those is the brown bear around the globe their population is estimated to be above 200 000 russia hosting half of them american black bears are the other healthy population experts believe there are between 850 and 950 000 of them remaining in the wild [Music] the rest of the bear family are classed as vulnerable bears face a range of survival challenges hunting and poaching loss of habitat to agriculture and logging and changes in weather patterns over the past 50 years there has been a major decline in sea ice directly impacting polar bears and their ability to hunt [Music] some bear species are still targeted for their bile and various body parts for use in traditional cures despite the fact they have no proven medicinal benefit hopefully awareness campaigns and protection laws will put an end to these cruel dated practices zoos and sanctuaries play vital roles in bear preservation they make these majestic animals accessible and heighten public awareness about their plights cubs are especially effective ambassadors for their relatives in the wild giant pandas are living proof that conservation programs work at one stage giant pandas were in danger but dedication and hard work have brought them back from the brink in the late 70s there were a thousand left in the wild [Music] by 2014 those numbers had risen to 1864 a small but significant rise as of 2016 they were upgraded to vulnerable status their ongoing success hinges on the continuation of conservation efforts not only on a local scale but globally and not just for giant pandas but for the future survival of all bears please [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] you

Channel: Free Documentary - Nature

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Rating: 4.7495713 out of 5

Keywords: Free Documentary, Documentaries, Full documentary, HD documentary, documentary - topic, documentary (tv genre), nature documentary, Free Documentary Nature, Wildlife, wildlife documentary, Wildlife Documentary 2020, Animals, Animals Documentary, Bears, Bear Documentary, Polar Bear, Panda Bear, Brown Bear, Kodiak Bear, grizzly bear, Black Bear, Ursidae, Just Bears, national geographic, Ursus, Ursus Arctos

Id: zcKvGK9aZ3s

Length: 52min 0sec (3120 seconds)

Published: Fri Dec 11 2020