the torment of summer
Why the warmer months can be a dangerous time for canada’s wildlife…
For most animals living in Canada’s wilderness, Summer is a time of warm days and plentiful food. But it can mean hunger for Canada’s Leaf River caribou herd in the north of Quebec.
Every Summer, they are plagued by swarms of mosquitoes, which force them from the lush lowlands to the barren higher plains, where there is little food.
‘A caribou can lose three pints of blood to mosquitoes in Summer,’ says David Suchet, who narrates this final episode.
‘The only way to escape these blood suckers is to run, but with less time for eating, they lose weight when they should be getting fat for the coming Winter.’
Cameras follow the herd as mosquitoes force them to flee across Leaf River, where they risk drowning in its treacherous water.
‘They keep moving, trying to evade the swarms,’ says David. ‘With over half a mile of fast-flowing water to cross, it’s a formidable swim for the adults and a potentially deadly one for the weaker calves.’
Caribou aren’t the only species that struggle with extreme hunger during the Summer months. For polar bears in the north of the country, the warm weather means no ice and therefore no seals to hunt. Between June and November, when food is in short supply, the bears scavenge on discarded prey, grass and sedge, but it’s meagre pickings.
‘Their weight can drop by 20lb per week, so they pick at anything they can,’ says David. ‘Temperatures of 20°C mean they’re also at risk of overheating. But there’s nothing they can do other than wait for the sea to freeze again.’