Chilling footage of a polar bear trying to devour a man
We bring to your attention photos of a brave cameraman and photographer who came face to face with a 1000-kilogram polar bear looking for something to chew for lunch.
A hungry 3-meter predator attacked several times a plexiglass box created specifically for this experiment – the equivalent of a shark cage – in which Gordon Buchanan was sitting. Gordon sat inside for 40 minutes while the polar bear tried to find a weak spot in his "box".
The polar bear, more precisely, the bear, spent almost 45 minutes trying to get to the operator.
The bear was trying hard to get inside to get a man and feed herself and her two cubs. Mr Buchanan, who has been making films about the world's most dangerous animals for 20 years, says it was the scariest experience of his long career.
A Scottish wildlife film expert shot this story in Svalbard, in the northernmost region of Norway. This film will be part of the BBC film The Polar Bear Family and Me.
Buchanan describes his "cage" as a "bomb shelter", but there was still a danger that it could crack in the cold. Buchanan followed mom Lyra and her cubs Mickey and Luka for 12 months to get closer to the polar bear family.
He made risky trips on the ice, often entering wild territories, struggling with icy winds, strong storms and low temperatures. In several cases, the team had to run away on their snowmobiles.
The bear was rocking the cage back and forth, trying to break it. But the ice cage was very strong.
The only danger was that she could become fragile in the cold, which made the task of shooting a film about polar bears even more dangerous.
Unlike many mammals, polar bears have to work hard to find food.
The film "The Polar Bear Family and Me" is available on BBC2.