At the top of the earth, surrounded by some of the coldest waters on the planet, lie the isolated outposts of the arctic islands. Though marooned by freezing seas, these rocky islands were born in a blaze of fire and fury, in some of the biggest volcanic events known to Earth’s history. From the active volcanoes of spectacular Iceland, to the scattered archipelago of Svalbard, these lands are home to the true adventurers of the animal kingdom. Some migrate here, others tough it out all year round, but all the species that make their home here have adapted to these unique habitats in amazing ways.

The Arctic circle is a challenging place to exist, but at the arctic’s heart… over and above 70 degrees North, the pressures of existence are even more unimaginable. At these latitudes a desolate and unforgiving world wraps the northernmost limits of the hemisphere, all the way to the North pole: The Tundra biome. Here, winter has lasted thousands of years, locking the ground beneath a barrier of ice and snow. This far north, we’ll discover heart-stopping freezing waters, ice as sharp as glass and the hardiest animals known to Earth. This is a frozen universe, where arctic-specialists come face to face with the jaws of death on a daily basis... But global warming means their world is melting, and the odds of survival are slowly tipping the scale....

With almost a third of the world’s forest cover, the Boreal forest is the planet’s largest land biome. Taking its name from the Greek God of the North Wind, these subarctic woodlands offer a natural sanctuary for many Arctic species. Here, animals use the trees as shelter from harsh winter winds, and the darkness to hide from the predators that stalk the shadows. Harboured beneath the canopy of endless conifers, iconic animals roam. Bears, wolves and even an unusual tiger claims these woods as their own, but as the world starts to melt with global warming - their home is changing beyond recognition.