Terrifying Encounter with Arctic Polar Bear | Operation Arctic | BBC Earth Explore
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.พ. 2025
- A polar bear approaches the film crew's vehicle, creating a tense and dangerous situation. Watch as they navigate the encounter in the heart of the Arctic wilderness. Will they escape safely?
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Taken from 'Operation Arctic' (2016)
Once a year, hundreds of polar bears gather on the shores of the Hudson Bay in Canada, on the edge of the Canadian Arctic. They've been starving for months, but the wait for food is almost over. The sea ice is forming, and the bears will soon be able to set off into their frozen hunting grounds for the winter. For a few short weeks every autumn, polar bears outnumber people in the tiny Canadian town of Churchill, Manitoba.
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How would you react? 😬
drop and roll
I'd be driving away well before the bear could get that close.
shit my knickers
Perhaps smear myself in my own feces and urine. Likely unintentional….
Ask yourself, why am I instigating a bear attack? All animals are living their own life..we humans, should understand, wild life, is wild...leave them alone to live.
That’s a lot of faith in that old Chevy
On Gawd that was big faith 😂😂
he said at the end it was "dodgey"
Car better start first turn ....
"They can punch through ice" whilst filming it behind glass 😂😂😂
The only species of bear that actively hunts humans… scary
well it actively hunts anything its nose takes a liking too.
its nothing to do with anything else, its naturally had no predators for 1000's of years and therefore shows few signs of fear no matter what its against.
we see this all over the world from various animals that have no natural predators.
finding food in tge artic is hard. i don't blame them
@@SHERMA. how dare you come here with common sense when you could just take the word of someone that heard something on the internet once
@SHERMA. NO. Basically to answer this, Polar bears are the only bear that literally only eats meat. Therefore we are actually seen as food, a brown bear may kill you mainly defending its territory. But a polar bear sees you as food
I knew the "experts" would jump on this post, so predictable.
"They can punch through a window very very easily"
Yet they let him get right up close to the car and put his paws on the window. That's Darwin award material.
The window wasn't even up when the bear was right under it.
I’m shocked at how irresponsible these guys were. They should have gotten out of there sooner, and that bear has now had friendly contact with humans and will be curious for more.
Stop misusing Darwins theory
It's not fair that something so deadly and dangerous is also that dang adorable.
That was way to close, huge risk.
“Too”
Yea by the look that bear was giving his intent is to EAT! People!
Omg it was soooo close 🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱
@@adamhuffman3354 Polar bears will attack humans with the intent to eat them. Yes. That’s because polar bears are the apex predators with fewer and fewer prey available every year, thanks to global warming shrinking their hunting habitat. They are opportunistic and will try to make a meal out of any prey if they can, including humans.
2
_The film crew was incredibly ignorant and should have started the vehicle at least 30 seconds earlier..._
REASON being: A polar bear is used to punching through thick layers of ice to get at seals. Its natural behavior is to punch through ice to get at its prey.
To the bear, the glass on that vehicle would be like punching through cling-wrap; its paws would be inside before they had time to react.
I agree with you.
I love how the armchair experts love to criticise the actual experts all the time
@@rahim9nine Timothy Treadwell was one such actual expert.
He and his girlfriend were eaten by a bear.
@@toothlessseer3153Tim wasn't anywhere close to an actual expert he was an expert in his own head 😂
@@rahim9nine So if that Bear leaned back and pushed forward when standing up on the window.. which it could have done in a 1 to 2 seconds....Your saying that we have it wrong and the idiot with the phone would have turned around to face the steering wheel...put the phone down.......turned the key....put it in drive and drove away before the bear pushed through the glass to grab him in less than 1-2 seconds???
I guess you need to be an expert to observe and have common sense eh genius?
1:25 "If he gets too close, you can start the engine. " By the time he actually started the engine, the bear was on its hind legs standing right next to their truck with paws on glass it could've very easily broken. Maybe start engine now and put foot on brake while truck is in drive.
Bimbo limey. Should never have been in the driver's seat.
He was just about to Donkey Kong them boys😳😳
The only reason that polar bear didn’t smash through that truck, is because it didn’t want to.
Two polar bears are standing in front of a smashed up igloo. One bear says to the other: “I love these things-crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside.”
White sharks say the same thing
The Far Side
It’s a Far Side cartoon
I remember that now. That was one of my favorite comic strips.
@@Boris_Chang It was in fact the first time I came across The Far Side, around 40 years ago! It was that memorable that I can still tell you what it was (the polar bears and the igloo) and where I was when I read it (the top lift shack at Mt Hood Ski Bowl).
that was a bit reckless... the cost of your safety isn't worth a close-up shot of the bear
yes it is.
They are professionals, its not reckless
@snexputana if you say so it must be true then
@@OLBICHL you just don't like bears.
@@snexputanait is reckless. That bear could easily break that window. It’s certain death. The polar bear will eat you so there’s no chance of it running off like a grizzly.
50 feet is way closer than I thought he was going to say.
These guys are idiots. They were waiting for a kiss before actually turning on the car
200 feet I woulda been in the truck backing away. F that my camera has zoom lol
What not to do when encountering a polar bear.
look at that nervous glance by guide at 0:40. I knew was going to call it soon.
Oh Lord, when the big boy put half his force, if that, into his push, I about stroked out. Awesome capture❣️
2:24 what dangerous about that is:- EVERYTHING 😅
Seems that polar bear "experts" would have known better than that bone head move. Could have gone very badly had that bear ever been around a vehicle before.
Beautiful, from afar 😊
Even the window was rolled up too late. That was definitely a bad example they were setting up. The engines should have been turned on 30 seconds earlier. The windows should have been rolled up, and they should have driven away once the bear was 10 meters away.
Hey man wanna go look at polar bears in my old Chevy in this unbelievable cold weather. Sounds like a well thought out plan lol
And thankfully it started
Such a handsome bear but behind that handsome face is a ferocious predator LOL...
His driver side door isn't even closed right. Super crazy.
British guy busy with his phone when there were already cameras rolling (being the driver on top of everything) risked the lives of those in the vehicle.
Another "the bear let the human live" moment there. Notoriety supersedes respect and intelligence.
Bear: Yum, canned food.
Joe Rogan: "No that bear wants to eat you! He smells meat" 😂😂😂
Wow this may be the biggest risk BBC has ever taken, honestly insanely unprofessional. If that bear instantly changes moods he could be into that truck in a second
It was reckless put everyone in danger
They’re all there by their own accord. They live for this kind of shit.
He took a real unnecessary chance waiting that long to start the car. You could see other people were really nervous. How irresponsible
Film crew: yeah lets get outta here
Bear: im here to ask you about your extended warranty
The guy just basically said, yep, it could absolutely kill us right now. . .if i was his family i'd be pretty angry.
"bear about to break window"
guy: oh hello
like it´s a little cute dog 😭
I hate when people are naive. The cameraman guy was really pushing his limits because he knew they were in danger, but he didn’t take it seriously. That older dude was giving him subtle hints that he ignored. That vehicle should have been started and in gear long before the bear got there. That bear could have easily gotten into that vehicle and he put everyone in danger.
Also no firearm? That’s wild. They shouldn’t have even been standing outside without a how powered rifle. Also a good idea to keep a high powered side arm on you as well.
the guide was uneasy the entire time but was being friendly because he knew that cameraman just wanted the perfect close shot. What a huge risk to take just for photo.
Gordon Buchanan worked with the legendary nick Gordon in south America, he knows exactly what he is doing and nature cameramen do not kill wildlife!
you clicked on the video that his naivety created. journalists will do anything for interesting footage. whether it was stupid or not, he got some captivating content.
Why would you even turn off that engine mate!!
Why would they not go in a tank. Not hard for that bear to damage that engine
Should have left before the bear got to the car. They’ve acclimated the bear to approaching vehicles. They handled ‘terror’ pretty nonchalantly. So, that word in the title was just to get us to click. Pretty foul on a number of levels.
You sound like you'd be great fun at parties!
They're not big cats. Being inside a vehicle doesn't turn you into a bigger animal. They see humans as prey and will try to smash through regardless. Their guide was right to be cautious.
So cautious, his buffer zone is less than 50 feet. There's no way that's a reasonable safety net for his old, slow ass.
@@davidsuch8942 yeah, nothing seemed cautious here. Letting the bear this near the car, with his paws on the damn window, and he hadn't even started the car. It was foolish. That may work out well one time, two times, but maybe not the third time.
0:38 I can’t bear all the puns
Now that's just a bear-faced lie! 😉
Barely a day goes by without pausing for thought.
@@CastleKnight7Was that a bipolar bear?
Joe Rogan would love this video. 😂
Once that bear clocked him with his nose, it was all over.
Have you not seen Black Bears open car doors? Get away. Get the car started!
*Bear is literally touching the car Them: “Wind the window up.” 🤦
Too funny 😄
Beautiful animals
THAT WAS SO DUMB LMAO
Omg that was beautiful & crazy.
Imagine the only thing separating you from these bears is the walls of an igloo.
This is why you don’t go bear watching unless you are driving
that is soooo cool. Beautiful animal.
Imagine if car didn't start? Also what if bear punctured the tyres
The issue is, the bear learns something new by every encounter. So you shouldn’t let them too close, because they try to figure things out. Other people will come after you, and the bear will be smarter every time, trying to out smart you, because that’s his job as a predator.
He just wanted to borrow your cellphone to order a pizza.
Within forty or fifty feet before you get out of the way? A bear could cover that in about five to ten seconds. That seemed really irresponsible...on the face of things. You didn't even have the car idling. What if it failed to start as the bear put it's paws on the window?
Yea that guide of theirs was realllly being careless. I don't think those brits realized how dangerous that was! Also, 40-50 feet before you get back to the car? That's wayy too close! Should be over 100 feet
@@TheRenster500 Guide was guilty of being too accommodating. Watch guide eyes at 0:40 you can see he is uncomfortable with whole thing. Fine line between giving people what they wanted (close pics/video) without getting everyone killed.
Forget all of it. Imagine if the bear damaged the engine. Shit would be a horror movie
40 to 50' is insane. 100 yards!
40-50 feet?! You’d have no chance of escape at that distance if it sprinted.
Just looking for the crisps bag! Bears are hungry. . Never hog the cheetos🤠
The bear is looking at canned and hasn't a can opener.
I think you mean downwind surely I.e. wind blowing from behind you towards the bear.
A completely avoidable "terrifying encounter"
“If it’s black, fight back. If it’s brown, lay down. If it’s white, good night.”
Remember this old saying in bear country.
I worked in Churchill for 6 months in 2022, my co worker who grew up there said, if u run into a bear in town, if u see it , it’s to late, u will hear it breath before u see if they are smart stalkers ..
Amazing❤❤
Ty
Polar bear can pound n break car window relatively easily with well over 1,000-pound body and enormous two front legs strengths, but car engine started him off. Plus, they are inside not like seal under water bear can jumping into. All bears look innocent like big cat, but when they are ready to attack, then U now what they look like!
Why let the bear get so close?!?! Seems like he could have killed you way too quickly letting him come up to your window.
It's honestly a little tragic that polar bears are so dangerous that they cant be allowed to be curious in the way black bears are. It's nice seeing and hearing about animals being curious about humans around their environment, like foxes climbing on a cameraman's back, birds preening themselves on someone's shoe, fish following particular divers every time they see them, etc
But predators like polar bears and some sharks are so almost instantly deadly that they get denied the ability to explore the new thing in their environment, even when theyre not being aggrssive - because it's just not wise to take the risk.
I love animal behavior and how when given opportunities they're curious and playful, and wonder what we could observe from such apex predators if they weren't such a threat to us
We are more afraid than we need to be. I live around black bears ( and wolves). My rule is, don’t hog the cheetos. Bears need to eat. They like their space, they’re mostly non aggressive. I think the polar bears are being starved by hunting , sealing, and climate change. That will make them more opportunistic and dangerous. You’ll notice that once the car moves, the bear moves on. Just looking. We bring so much unneeded fear to our animal encounters. Bring love and wonder and respect instead. It’s a beautiful world
@@TheAlex8675309 black bears behave entirely differently than polar bears. Polar bears have for as long as humans have interacted, eaten everything they can encounter because they don't know when they'll encounter another. And there's no warding them off without killing them - military personnel in the Arctic have stories after stories of having to literally use explosive devices to kill a polar bear because it wouldn't stop attacking a person no matter what they shot it with.
@@TheAlex8675309you do realize that polar bears behaviour is very different from black bears or wolfs?!
Just giving them space won't save you. Unlike brown bears or black bears who usually only attack humans if they invade their space or come to close to their offspring, polar bears absolutely see humans as prey
@@TheAlex8675309please don’t take the chance, your life is too precious.
@@TheAlex8675309that is complete arogonce. Nobody is hunting in the arctic that much. Polar bears are the complete top of the food chain with nothing to fear. A blackbear is certainly not. And they dont eat alot of meat. Mostly vegitation. Polar bears eat strictly only meat. There isnt anything els
Is there anything more cute than a polar bear?
I wouldn’t trust being in a car. My brother and his wife took a trip to Yosemite, put their food in a bearbox strung high between two trees, but forgot they had left the steaks in an icebox locked in the car. A black bear, probably a third the size of the polar bear, just put his nails around the door frame and pretty easily forced the door open, tore open the ice chest and got the steaks. I am sure a polar bear could get into a truck if he really wanted to.
Luckily that bear never broke through a window before. They learn
Really should’ve not let it get to that point - lean on the horn and make it an unpleasant experience for the bear.
What a special and amazing experience that must have been. To see Apollo bear and it's own habitat in the wild it's so special.
I'd have made sure the car was running and door's open when that thing was still 2 miles away
The guide should have been in the driver seat. Why would he be a passenger conveying critical directions to a videographer?
good thing the crew is quick to discern and pack up 💪👍🏆 though exciting close encounter 😅❤️✅💯
That's Churchill Manitoba. Oolar bear tourism capital of the world
Wow that was pretty crazy not to start the car once the polar bear got soo close too the Suv...😲 even that young that young male would of easily smashed the window.... Very dangerous and so lucky!!!
❤❤❤❤❤
Those suburbans rock
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My thoughts exactly 😂
A pane of auto glass between you and white death? I'd of been three miles away doing 90
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They got eaten by polar bears 😂
they got unplugged 🤣🤣🤣
they went back to get a better picture of that polar bear 😂😂
He saw his lunch box
Aa soon as you see it, forget "40/50 feet"
40-50 feet is crazy close
"I TOLD YOU GUY TO STOP FILMING ME 😡😡😡😡"
I'm not gonna try to outrun it. I'm gonna trip the camera man, and briskly walk away.
“Barely” lol
"40, 50 feet"? That's crazy.
Powerful animal...too risky.
You can have a pet big cat, it may or may not kill you. With polar bears it will kill you.
Feed it and it’ll be back for more
"Arctic polar bear" is redundant as polar bears only exist in the arctic.
Person probably got tied up between wanting to say "Arctic bear" and "polar bear" and accidentally said both tbf, we all have slip ups where we accidentally say two synonyms that make our statement redundant. My family and I keep a running tab on how many redundancies we accidentally say when hanging out, and "wet soggy towel" is one that comes to mind lmao
Hahaha, exactly. Team in the truck seems to know only slightly less about Polar Bears as the person at the BBC that uploaded this clip.
As opposed to an Antarctic polar bear?😂
That bear was trying to open that door
Yikes !!😢 No thank you !!!
Lucky, that pola bear was recently fed by someone.
Everyone felt safe filming in those glass shark tanks till a great white smashed that one to bits with the camera guy inside too.
You don't mess with a polo bear!!!! You lose!!!!😮
Why wasnt the truck already running?
Whats even crazier is knowing there are adults who will take their children to "experience" shit like this smh
must not have seen the same videos I've seen😅 because I wouldn't have even let him really get that close. They can put their paw through a window without even trying😅