南歐每年都有少數棕熊由斯洛文尼亞或克羅地亞地區出發，穿越重重的邊境與阿爾卑斯森林，進入奧地利和意大利，開闢新的領地。逾300公斤的巨大身軀，成功隱身於石灰岩山脈中，行蹤神秘。在這部紀錄片當中，攝製隊跟隨雄性棕熊的身影，翻過二千五百米的高峰，穿越三國邊境，見證這些原野巨人北遷到卡拉萬克斯山脈的故事。當中有獨自上路的小孤雛，亦有生命即將走到盡頭的年長棕熊，以及闖入人類世界覓食的勇者。他們的力量、智慧與好奇心令人驚嘆。

鏡頭下的阿爾卑斯山區景色美得令人屏息，蘊藏多樣性生物圈，由大型哺乳類動物野狼與山貓，到同樣會遷移與冬眠的蹄鼻蝙蝠，河流內的巨石螯蝦，以及空中與大地上的昆蟲，猶如一幅幅完美的自然生態圖。

Bears of the Karawank Mountains

The Bears are Back! Once scarcely seen in central Europe, shaggy 300 kg brown bears, are once again padding through Slovenia’s Alpine forests and crossing borders into Austria and Italy. In these limestone ranges within sight of the warm Mediterranean, they hardly ever come into conflict with people – unless they sense the presence of honey! In Slovenia cubs stay with their mother up to three years before striking out alone in search of new territory. Young males wander north as far as the Karawank Alps. Few – unlike the hero of our story – dare to cross the aweinspiring 2,500 metre massif. This film opens our eyes to bears’ enormous power, intelligent curiosity and surprising habits: some bears hibernate with bats that huddle together and even mate in their cave, unfazed by the slumbering giant beneath. 

Biological research tells us the brown bear is an infallible indicator of intact biospheres: Where this top predator settles, other species thrive: from large mammals like wolves and lynx, to altogether humbler residents like mushrooms, or the Carnic honeybees. And as forests reclaim fields left fallow by the rural exodus, is this a chance for bears too? 

Featuring the spectacular Karawank peaks with their harsh north faces and gentler southern slopes, this blue chip UNIVERSUM documentary follows a young brown bear on his quest for a territory to call his own. In the process, we discover how Slovenia – the country with by far the largest number of brown bears – is also the one that has least trouble getting along with them!