Polar bears are natural loners, but they transform into social, playful creatures when it comes time to find a mate. In this excerpt from the BBC’s ‘Life Story’ series, a male polar bear tracks the scent of a female over several weeks before she engages him in a rigorous test of fitness. The test, it turns out, is all about play – rolling in the snow, clambering up steep, slippery slopes and chasing each other about. When the male tires, the female has a few flirty tricks left to entice him back to his feet.
Narrator: David Attenborough
videoMathematics
After centuries of trying, we’ve yet to arrive at a perfect way to map colour
20 minutes
videoLove and friendship
What does it mean to say goodbye to a creature that doesn’t know you’re leaving?
13 minutes
videoFamily life
A mother and child bond in an unusual prison visitation space in this poignant portrait
11 minutes
videoHuman rights and justice
Surreal, dazzling visuals form an Iranian expat’s tribute to defiance back home
10 minutes
videoAnimals and humans
One man’s quest to save an orphaned squirrel, as narrated by David Attenborough
14 minutes
videoBiology
Butterflies become unrecognisable landscapes when viewed under electron microscopes
4 minutes
videoLove and friendship
Never marry a man you love too much, and other views on romance in Sierra Leone
5 minutes
videoHistory of technology
Curious singles and tech sceptics – what ‘computer dating’ looked like in 1966
6 minutes
videoBiology
‘Save the parasites’ may not be a popular rallying cry – but it could be a vital one
11 minutes