The northern lights
are one of the most amazing
natural phenomena
that you can experience
in your life.
But wait,
you're not alone.
What is that big shadow in the dark?
Oh, gosh.
It's a polar bear.
And you are in the middle of the Arctic.
How can you get out of this in one piece?
It won’t be easy this time.
Polar bears are fascinating creatures.
They live in the Arctic
and hunt on the Arctic Ocean.
They are one of the largest
land predators on Earth.
And are one of the largest
carnivorous land mammals.
During their hunting season,
they mainly feed on seals.
So in order to pack on some fat,
they spend the winter hunting
on the Arctic sea ice.
In summer, they eat much less
or even nothing.
They can lose around 50 kg (110 lb)
waiting on colder temps
and the ice to form again.
Due to global warming,
the ice season is shorter.
Not only that, the ice is weaker,
so many polar bears cannot hunt
and eat as much food as they need.
They must spend more time ashore,
closer to human settlements.
And you can bet
they are hungry.
Encounters with polar bears
are always serious.
They hunt in white landscapes
covered in ice,
so any shape they see
can become prey.
Oh yeah, even you,
taking pictures in the snow.
They're fast, skilled predators.
And they're not afraid of humans.
So if a polar bear approaches you,
don’t make any quick
or sudden movement.
Instead,
try calling for help
by phone or radio.
Polar bears can run
up to 40 km/h (25 mph),
so unless you're Usain Bolt,
don't even try to run away.
Never try to fight a polar bear.
They can reach 3.3 m (11 ft) tall
standing up,
and weigh up to 770 kg (1,700 lb).
So you are not
a formidable opponent to them.
To fill this impressive physique,
they need at least 2 kg (4.2 lb)
of fat a day.
But their stomachs can hold
up to 20% of their body weight,
as much as 150 kg (330 lb).
So yeah,
a polar bear could eat you whole.
So instead of fighting,
you might want to pack some gadgets.
Flares can scare away a polar bear.
Firing a gun can scare it off too.
Just don't wait for it to get too close.
You want it to be as far away as possible.
If it's too late,
and the polar bear's charging you,
use bear spray.
It will blind the predator for a while,
and hinder its sense of smell.
So spray it,
and run away
as if your life depends on it.
Cause it does.
Polar bears have a fantastic
sense of smell.
They can smell prey
from more than 1 km (0.6 mi) away.
So you don't want to carry
smelly food in your backpack,
or cook it outdoors.
Also, if you catch some fish,
don’t leave it hanging around.
It can attract a polar bear.
Not only could it eat your dinner,
it might have you for dessert.
In 2013,
a group of hikers went camping
in Torngat Mountains National Park
in Canada.
At night,
they saw a mother polar bear
with her cub,
so they started yelling.
The bears didn’t come closer to camp.
But the next day,
another polar bear showed up,
and this time it closed in on them.
They fired a flare,
and the bear got scared and retreated
when the shell landed near it.
That night, the bear came back,
broke down a tent,
grabbed a hiker in its mouth,
and started to leave.
The other campers ran after the bear,
screaming and making noises.
Then they fired another flare,
and the bear dropped the hiker
and ran away.
He was so badly hurt
that his friends were afraid
that he was dead.
But a few hours later,
a helicopter flew him
to emergency medical care,
and he survived.
So, never camp alone,
and never ignore warning signs.
If a polar bear shows up,
pack up and get out of there.
When the Arctic sea ice melts,
polar bears go ashore.
Hunger and curiosity lead them
to human settlements,
such as Churchill, Manitoba
by Canada's Hudson Bay.
Not surprisingly, it's called
the "polar bear capital of the world."
In the past,
conservation guards used to kill
about 25 polar bears a year.
But now they have created an alarm system.
They even have a prison
for polar bears who get too curious.
And since a hungry polar bear
can always be on the prowl,
no doors in the city are locked.
Anyone can take refuge
anytime,
anywhere.
Polar bears are incredible predators.
So it may come as a surprise
that they’re a threatened species.
Scientists estimate
that there are only 26,000 left
and that they can become extinct
in the next 80 years
due to climate change.
Talking about extinctions,
have you imagined
being the last person on Earth?
Could you survive that?