'March of the Polar Bears': Release date, plot and all you need to know about Nat Geo WILD's winter special

The two-hour TV special centers around a first-ever attempt to follow polar bears traversing the sea ice of Hudson Bay

BY SMITA M

PUBLISHED DEC 6, 2020

As Nat Geo WILD celebrates its 10th anniversary, it has plenty of nature specials in its line-up for the holidays. In case polar bears have always fascinated you with their combination of cute and deadly, tune in for this two-hour winter special. The secret life of polar bears has been mostly a mystery because they are deemed too dangerous for humans to follow.

Now, Earth Touch USA, in this special, reveals what has been hidden about this endangered species using the latest 4K camera technology and employing a team of experts armed with traditional ecological knowledge. It will also highlight how climate change is changing how polar bears live in the wilds.

Release date

'March of the Polar Bears' debuts at 8 pm ET/PT on December 20 on Nat Geo WILD.

Plot

As the Arctic changes faster than ever, a team of polar bear guides prepares for an epic journey — a first-ever attempt to follow polar bears traversing the sea ice of Hudson Bay. In this high-stakes, high-reward venture, the team documents the secret world of polar bears and the mysterious and disappearing ice realm that is the bears’ key to survival.

Their life on the ice has remained largely undocumented because polar bears are deemed too dangerous for humans to follow. Their "march" has only been explored through aerial reconnaissance and satellite collar research till now. But in this special, for the first time on film, we will get to see never-before-seen seal-hunting strategies and how these polar bears are making rapid adaptations to climate change, including whale predation and open-water hunting.