David Attenborough's Asia breaks hearts with bear cub footage

"If that was me, I'd be off buying a car load of salmon," wrote one fan on social media.

Dan Seddon
Updated ·3-min read
The male bear cub exhausted in the snow (BBC screenshot)
The male bear cub exhausted in the snow (BBC screenshot)

David Attenborough's Asia returned for its third episode on Sunday, 17 November, which captured the uplifting and harrowing dramas faced by wildlife in the frozen north.

One segment in particular caused widespread upset among viewers though; that of the mother bear and her two cubs as they prepared for hibernation. The BBC cameras were unyielding as the male cub became progressively weaker and could barely pick himself up from the ground, such was his level of starvation.

Asia fans were heavily invested in his survival over on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

Mother bear with her starving son (BBC screenshot)
Mother bear with her starving son (BBC screenshot)

Taking place around one of the continent's crater lakes, this snowy sequence showcased the mother's struggle to hunt enough salmon for her offspring, although the daughter appeared in a much healthier state than the boy.

Their desperate situation was only compounded by the arrival of a territorial adult male, too, forcing the trio to seek out new fishing spots.

Her son's exhaustion peaked when he flopped onto his side, unable to muster the strength to even stay on his feet. Spotting this, the parent comforted him before rushing into the water in search of potentially life-saving salmon.

Despite succeeding in catching one, her daughter ended up eating the majority of the meal, leaving mere scraps on the bone for her dying sibling.

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Narrating, Attenborough informed fans that only half of the bear cubs survive their first winters, yet "this mother's determination has given both her cubs a chance."

"Currently crying over the baby bear cub so exhausted he can't move or feed. Thanks Attenborough," posted one person on X, whilst a second added: "All the feels right now! Poor baby bears."

A third mentioned: "I don't know how wildlife filmmakers remain neutral. If that was me, I'd be off buying a car load of salmon for the baby bears."

Ussurian tube-nosed bat takes wing after five months of hibernation (BBC screenshot)
Ussurian tube-nosed bat takes wing after five months of hibernation (BBC screenshot)

Later on, Asia also revealed the incredible story of the Ussurian tube-nosed bat, which reawakens every spring in central Siberia, having slowed down its heart-rate to one beat per minute during its five-month hibernation.

Prior to taking flight, the bat must warm up via intense shivering and this causes its pulse to increase to 300+ beats per minute.

Asia airs Sunday evenings on BBC One, while the whole series is now streamable on BBC iPlayer.

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