There are only ten weeks left before the bears are due to be released into the wilderness, but they are not ready yet. First, they must learn two essential bear survival skills, how to swim and how to forage. Most importantly, they also need to put on enough weight to survive the impending Russian winter alone. Without a mother bear to teach or feed them, it is down to Gordon and the Pazhetnov family of biologists to prepare the orphans for the harsh realities of bear life.

In the first episode, Gordon arrives in the bone-chilling Russian winter, days after six tiny cubs have been rescued. Will they survive the trauma of losing their mothers, and can Gordon and the family help these baby bears survive and return them to nature in just a few months?