Life in the Snow Page #2

She should be keeping them warm.

Instead, she gets up and leaves.

After half a year in hibernation,

she's desperate for food.

Her cubs don't have the three

layers of waterproof fur

all adults bears grow - they're

defenceless in this weather.

Their instinctive survival strategy

is to climb a tree.

But this only works

for avoiding predators.

Up here, they're even more

exposed to the cold.

At last, their mum returns.

But straightaway,

she sets off again.

Walking in thick snow is almost

impossible on little legs.

They struggle to keep up.

Hopefully, Mum has a plan

to keep them warm and safe.

Overnight, temperatures

drop to minus 12 degrees.

Dawn. The storm has passed.

But, what about the cubs?

Their mother led them

to a sheltered spot

and kept them warm through the chill

of the night with her own body heat.

Experience can make all the

difference to living in the snow.

It's been a steep learning curve for

this family, but they've made it.

Being ready and equipped

for the cold is critical.

As I can show you.

This is a thermal camera.

It sees temperature

as different colours.

Right now, I'm just wearing

a thin top,

and it should show me losing

body heat in red and white.

Now, as I stand here,

I can actually feel the cold

nipping at my exposed skin.

On the thermal camera

that will show as white hot.

So it's all about layering up.

It's about keeping that heat in,

and we do that with insulation.

For any animal that lives

in a snowy wilderness,

they've got to be able to take

the cold in their stride.

And there is one very special animal

that does that better than most.

The Arctic fox.

They live further north than any

other member of the dog family.

And something extraordinary

makes this possible.

In the warm days of summer,

they look very different.

Then, every year,

as the winter approaches,

they undergo

a spellbinding transformation.

They grow a thick,

snow-white winter coat.

I'm lucky to be able to see this

up close,

with a fox that's been

brought up by people.

Hello, you handsome, handsome boy.

My word.

That is the most sumptuous coat

I have ever seen on any animal.

In fact, Arctic foxes have the

warmest coat of all Arctic mammals.

In winter, their fur becomes

200% thicker.

There's a longer, outer layer,

with hollow hairs that trap air

to increase insulation.

And a dense undercoat provides

even more warmth.

An Arctic fox won't

even start feeling the cold

until it's minus 40 degrees.

And, they have other clever features

that help them get through winter.

Their ears are round and tucked into

their deep fur to reduce heat loss.

And, to prevent frostbite,

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes