Mammals fans 'never been so torn' as polar bear chases down next meal

What did you miss?

Sir David Attenborough's Mammals took audiences to the coldest lands on Earth on Sunday (April 21), and so inevitably we were shown a polar bear.

As the beloved naturalist explained, these apex predators are now forced further inland than ever before due to the challenges of coastal hunting. After walking for hours, a female bear was captured alighting upon a herd of Svalbard reindeer - the smallest species in the world - which she fully intended on munching.

What happened next left many fans conflicted, though, as they shared their thoughts on social media.

What, how and why?

Having travelled a great distance to find her prey, the bear gave chase as the reindeer legged it. She focussed on one in particular, but its speed proved too much as it raced off to rejoin its family.

"It's unusual for a polar bear to chase prey for so long, but even so, she doesn't give up," narrated Attenborough, who turns 98 years old in just a few weeks.

"Soon she's back on their trail and she catches them up," he added, with the cameras revealing three of the reindeer running for their lives towards deeper snow. Before long, they'd separated and the bear targeted one that was heading downhill. Cue even more heart-in-your-mouth seconds as the exhausted pair drove onwards in the freezing wilderness.

In the end, the bear's superior power and determination was the difference, and the reindeer's meat filled her grateful belly.

What did fans make of this scene on social media?

Posting on social platform X, Mammals viewers seemed both pleased for the bear yet mournful for the cute reindeer she'd just put to the sword.

It's just the nature of Attenborough documentaries. (See what we did there?).

Mammals resumes next Sunday (April 28) on BBC One at 7pm.

Read more:

• David Attenborough fans react to 'battle no one was expecting' in Mammals

• Mammals viewers are convinced orcas are 'true villains' of nature

• The astonishing Mammals moment that surprised Sir David Attenborough

Watch: David Attenborough at 97: 'He still works harder than most of us - seven days a week'