Bears and Salmon

Like many, I was brought up watching Attenborough documentaries. I've got memories of lions chasing gazelle and wildebeest, which usually ended up with numerous failed attempts from the lions. Finally a stray is caught at the back, and lots of squirming ensued.

Looking in the DVD racks at the local supermarket, there's quite a bit of Attenborough fare on offer - including those images from childhood. Turns out it was "Life On Earth", specifically episode 11 :

11. "The Hunters and Hunted"Broadcast 27 March 1979, this programme surveys mammal herbivores and their predators. The herbivores began to populate the forests when the dinosaurs disappeared, and many took to gathering food at night. To prepare for winter, some store it in vast quantities, some hibernate and others make do as best they can. However, the carnivores joined them, and when a dying climate triggered the spread of grass, they followed their prey out on to the plains. Grass is not easily digestible and most animals that eat it have to regurgitate it and chew the cud. Out in the open, the leaf-eaters had to develop means of protection. A few species turned into burrowers: examples include the blind mole-rat, which is completely underground, and the prairie dog, which isn't. The capybara — the largest rodent — spends much of its time in the water. Those that evolved long legs and hooves, such as the zebra and impala, seek safety in speed, while larger creatures, such as the rhinoceros, rely on their armoured hides. The elephant is the world’s largest land animal and is virtually invulnerable. Cheetahs and lions are attracted by those that herd in large numbers, like wildebeest. The cheetah uses its considerable speed while the heavier lion is a social predator, mostly using co-operation and stealth to capture its victims, and its methods are explored in detail. Meanwhile, a pack hunter, such as the hyena, has immense stamina and will eventually wear down its quarry, easing the kill.

Last night was the most recent installment of "Nature's Great Events". How the football on ITV got twice the audience of this programme last week is beyond me. This week we were treated to an opening film showing a family of bears in a snug den in the snow. The image panned out to show that they were high up on a mountain, and had just endured a season of hibernation. I've posted a couple of clips on NW Caching, the latter of which shows this opening scene :

http://www.nwcaching.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&p=25907#p25907

Amazingly, these bears hadn't eaten for months, yet when they reached the bottom of the mountain, the only food that greeted them was small tufts of grass, and barnacles on rocks! This keeps the bears (and wolves) going until the salmon run later in the year.

Finally, the salmon arrived, and the sight of a row of bears waiting for their prey was something to behold. Most salmon got through, but certainly a large proportion were eaten. This was easy pickings for the bears. I've seen clips of this spectacle before, but seeing it filmed with such expertise was something else entirely. There were cameras above and under water. There were cameras showing the salmon-eye view. And there was loads of slow-motion footage that showed you exactly what was happening. All of it underpinned by Attenborough's perfect narration.

Think I'll be in the supermarket aisles tonight to buy Planet Earth!