Only the strong survive at the top of the world. Stalk the Arctic ice with its fiercest predator, the polar bear, as it prowls one of the most forbidding places on the planet - a hidden kingdom of magnificent creatures. Armed with a keen sense of smell and backed up by 800 kilos of fur and fangs, the polar bear stands alone at the top of the food chain. Yet many other hunters manage to survive in and around harsh Arctic waters from the savvy arctic fox to the massive, whiskered walrus. The Arctic ice is revealed as a place of danger and drama where animals are stranded on frozen waters, trapped between moving sheets of ice, and caught in the struggle to survive.
Discover the fate of a polar bear and her twin cubs at the icy top of the world. National Geographic cameras follow the family during a two-year Arctic odyssey filled with touching and unforgettable moments, many never before filmed. Watch in wonder as curious cubs emerge from their den for the first time after a three-month hibernation. Go 'ice-crashing' with the polar bear family as they hunt for seals. Feel the tension as the mother protects her cubs from a hostile male, one of many dangers lurking on the ice floes. Just half of all cubs survive beyond their first year and this polar bear family needs the mother's finely tuned instincts and luck to beat the odds.
In the frozen wilderness of Antarctica, where oceans ice over and just staying alive is an achievement, one creature has perfected the art of survival - the emperor penguin. Eons of evolution have built an animal superbly adapted to the howling gales and sub-zero temperatures but the emperor may have finally met its match. Parts of Antarctica are warming, giving birth to huge icebergs and the consequences could be catastrophic for this majestic animal. In a place where all life is touched by the ice, it is a dramatic shift. Explore this region from its inhabitant's perspective, utilising Crittercam technology. By better understanding these amazing animals, researchers can help prepare for their future, as the balance of life in the Antarctic continues to change.