How do polar bears find their love match? Flirty play in the snow till they drop

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.