Frozen Planet II

Episode
Episode 1 - Frozen Worlds
Broadcast Info
2022 (57 mins)
Description
Frozen Planet II journeys to all of Earth’s remarkable cold worlds to experience the wonder of these breath-taking wildernesses at a time when they are changing before our eyes. Journeying from pole to pole, we reveal the surprising frozen worlds that exist across the planet and the remarkable animals that make them their home. We begin our journey in the far south in the most hostile place on earth, the frozen continent of Antarctica. After being raised on the ice in winter Emperor Penguin chicks find themselves in spring abandoned by their parents. To survive they must find their own way across the treacherous sea ice to the rich waters of the Southern Ocean. The waters surrounding Antarctica may be the richest of all but they also home to an exceptionally sophisticated predator, the killer whale. To reach their favoured prey, Weddell seals, a family of killer whales have learnt to generate their own waves, washing the seals off their ice floes. It’s a technique that has been passed down over generations and is coordinated by the family matriarch who can be over 100 years old. Leaving Antarctica and traveling north, we discover frozen habitats that are created by altitude. The greatest of these is the Himalaya, the tallest mountain range on earth, which contains so much ice and snow it is known as the third pole. In the shadow of the Himalaya lies a vast frozen grassy plain that is home to the fluffiest cat in the world- Pallas’s cat. It may have extremely dense fur but if it’s to survive the Mongolian winter, it needs to catch lots of gerbils and voles. Easier said than done when you only have short legs and paws sensitive to the cold. North of the Great Steppe lies the boreal forest which encircles the continents of North America, Europe & Asia and remains frozen for six months of the year. Prowling these forests in the far east of Russia is the Siberian Tiger, the largest cat in the world. In winter it is on the lookout for black bears hibernating in caves, a high-risk strategy that only a cat of this size would attempt. Above the boreal forest we cross into the Arctic circle, where conditions become so extreme that trees can no longer grow- this is the Tundra. Living here are relics of the last ice age, Musk Ox. In Spring their calves must face a far greater danger than the cold- Grizzly bears. Encounters can be brutal but if just a few calves survive the gauntlet, the herd’s future is secure. To the north of the Tundra is the Arctic Ocean, the only ocean that can completely freeze over. Living here is one of the most peculiar animals on earth, the Hooded seal. Males have extraordinary inflatable noses, producing a bright red balloon out of their left nostrils. Something one male hopes will make him irresistible. All of the frozen habitats share one thing in common- the threat posed by today’s climate change. Traveling to the island of Greenland, home to the largest body of ice in the northern hemisphere, we witness how global warming is melting its icecap at faster rates than ever before- with profound consequences for global sea levels. And lastly we visit the Arctic’s most iconic resident, the polar bear, as a mother bear struggles to provide for her cubs in a world of shrinking sea ice.
Genre
Research; Natural History; Climate

How to cite this record

The Open University, "Frozen Planet II". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ou/search/index.php/prog/242919 (Accessed 10 Jan 2025)