Wildlife documentarian Gordon Buchanan traveled to Svalbard for his new series The Polar Bear Family and Me. He did not know that it is customary there to bring a dish to dinner when visiting the polar bears. The mother expressed their displeasure at this breach of etiquette and tried to break through his protective capsule:
Mr Buchanan, who has filmed the world’s deadliest creatures for 20-years, described the ordeal as his scariest ever experience.
He said: ‘A lot of people think that carnivores are intrinsically dangerous but most aren’t – there’s a minimal risk and attacks are the exception.
‘But polar bears are different, without a doubt she wanted me for lunch. She was so persistent, looking for a weak spot for almost 45 minutes.
‘I was terrified and you could hear my heartbeat on the mic. It really was a sensational moment and a worrying situation.