nigel marven’s polar bear week

Coming soon to Five is a brand new series charting another icy adventure for intrepid zoologist Nigel Marven as he explores the wildlife of Canada’s spectacular High Arctic. From spring through to autumn, Nigel’s expedition takes him from the icy wastes of the far north, across near-endless tundra to the vast boreal forest in the south.

The five-part series follows the fortunes of a range of animals as they attempt to triumph in the face of extreme conditions. From polar bear cubs fresh out of their birthing den, to an Arctic wolf’s breathtaking attack on a herd of musk oxen, the series shows northern nature at its rawest. While polar bears are the main stars of the show, other animals featured include Arctic foxes, beluga whales, great gray owls, harp seals and moose.

In the first instalment of the series, it is springtime in the Canadian Arctic and Nigel starts his ninemonth quest to explore the realm of the polar bear. He takes a dogsled ride from Churchill to see Arctic foxes and caribou; braves temperatures of –30 degrees to witness the jaw-dropping majesty of the Northern Lights at Wapusk National Park; and follows a polar bear mother and two cubs across the tundra. This, however, is just the start of Nigel’s Christmas on ice.