|
National Geographic White Wolf
|
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Less than 500 miles from |
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lies Canada's most distant frontier |
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Ellesmere island. |
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It takes a special kind of |
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This is one the arctic wolf. |
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These hunters of the high Arctic |
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They roam this frozen wilderness |
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hatred and mistrust we have |
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Now, these wolves and men have met |
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and the encounter has revealed some |
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Unlike wolves in other parts |
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these creatures live so far away |
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that they have never been |
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Ellesmere is an island surrounded |
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a harsh land about |
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Only someone with a passion for |
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them into this desolate land. |
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One such person is photographer |
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He has been here before, |
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on assignment for |
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Now the wolves have lured him back. |
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Wolves have always been a |
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And I suppose one of the reasons |
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they're my favorite animals is |
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that intelligence makes it nearly |
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in a more conventional place, |
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And for some reason |
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have got a quality about them |
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and it became clear that |
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The spring sunlight illuminates |
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the long months of high Arctic winter. |
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The polar bears patrol once again, |
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but they are little threat |
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since they rarely move far |
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The wolves are more likely |
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according to Dave Mech, |
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a wolf biologist with |
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He came here with Jim Brandenburg |
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It was a dream come true for me to |
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I had known about the wolves |
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But I never thought I'd ever |
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Everywhere else in the world wolves |
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they're extremely afraid of humans. |
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And once can't get close enough |
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The area is so remote they're |
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For the first time, |
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as a wolf pays homage |
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known as the |
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The hierarchy of the group |
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in body language and actions. |
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By observing and analyzing |
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scientists like Mech and understand the |
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To learn what I wanted |
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The shelter where the wolves have |
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of the year in the summer. |
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There's only one such den in |
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so it took a long time to find it. |
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Actually, I spent a solid week |
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when I finally was able to locate it. |
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There's very few such suitable dens |
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because of the pervasive permafrost |
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Having found the den, |
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why the wolves had chosen the sight. |
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It was a beautiful rock cave at the |
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a wide valley with a stream |
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And the wolves could look out in |
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What Dave and Jim are about to |
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Arctic summer would give them |
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They knew they had the possibility of |
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almost becoming part of it. |
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They found themselves amazingly |
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as she took her pups out, |
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These were not the mindless killers |
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Finally, the men could begin to |
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Film making is an involved process |
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lots of equipment, |
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In a remote location like this, |
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So we need extra beyond the normal. |
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The wolves had picked the perfect den |
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and we did try to |
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We wanted to be close enough to the |
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yet not too close to |
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and the daily activity of |
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Again, one of the reasons I respect |
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As a wildlife photographer |
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techniques that you can use to |
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Either using a hide or a blind, |
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In such difficult terrain, |
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We were able to work quite well |
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both of us needed the same thing. |
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To photograph wolves or to observe |
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The main thing we had to watch out for |
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With this kind of light, Dave, |
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I think we'll have to |
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It's awfully murky and heavy light. |
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Yeah, I think we can do it. |
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They don't show any sign of |
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If Mom is like last year she'll |
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Yeah, but we can't take a chance. |
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Right. |
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Let's just go slowly at first. |
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There's nowhere to hide in this |
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and the wolves see or sense |
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Mom knows the men are there |
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patient approach. |
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The pups were born in May; |
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they are constantly exploring. |
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For Dave Mech, |
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important new information. |
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Already the benefits of watching |
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became apparent when I was |
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I could determine how long the pups |
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how many bouts there were each day, |
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and then watch this progress |
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until finally weaning took place. |
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Although it's almost midsummer, |
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A new experience for the pups. |
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They spent the first weeks |
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sheltered by their mother's warmth. |
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Luckily, there are places to |
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The pups are a picture of |
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far removed from any image of |
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for blood in the night. |
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Still, it's the howl that has always |
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Well, of all the sounds of nature |
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wolf howl is the most evocative |
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I believe also that wolves have |
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because of the howl. |
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To the wolves, |
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howling is a very important part of |
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It's sort of like the glue that |
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I'd never been able to watch |
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So! Wanted to look at howling very |
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It's especially nice to be able to |
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You can't do that down in the |
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That Alpha Male, to me, has the most |
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Halfway through the howl he |
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Wish I knew what it all meant though, |
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you know, just like a lot of |
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Um, you know that half bark. |
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Yeah, that's perfect. Yeah. |
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You know I sneezed today and the |
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And I was reminded that that probably |
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They didn't know if one of the |
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Yeah. |
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Then they realized it was me. |
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It's that staccato kind of a sound. |
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The mid-back, the one |
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came over to the pups |
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And they started mobbing |
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and she was kind of upset |
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And she kind of barked at em. |
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And it was just a half bark, |
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ran right up to her with tail |
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was down and completely submissive. |
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It was a wonderful display, |
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by that one half bark. |
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So, you know, I wish we could |
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But it's sure intriguing |
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There are equally intriguing topics, |
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As they've grown, |
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The pups play for hours on end. |
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It gives them exercise, |
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and to practice various behavior |
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rest of their lives like running, |
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and even submitting to each other. |
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Competing for food is a very |
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even amongst litter mates. |
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A pup grabs a feather and tries |
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This is similar to grabbing a piece |
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In this respect learning tug-of-war |
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Today it's a feather, |
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Now six weeks old, the pups have |
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Their cautious parents attempt to |
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Pups sometimes roam as far as |
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but they are easily found |
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The young face little danger since |
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such as the birds of prey that hunt |
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Still, the parents keep |
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carefully maintaining the |
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"dominance hierarchy" of the pack. |
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Mech is now investigating several |
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including the pups development |
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the wolf's notorious howl. |
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When a pack wakes up |
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and even the pups attempt to join in. |
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In the silence of the Arctic, |
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To other wolves it means "stay away", |
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The pack is fiercely territorial. |
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Brandenburg noticed that the chorus |
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a useful cue for him |
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It seems an unkind trick of nature |
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Ellesmere keep their white coats |
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Easy to spot, they are a favorite |
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Although a hare can weigh eight pounds |
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The hares must rely on their |
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They can run and stand on |
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which enables them to |
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Unlike their parents, |
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young hares blend in |
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still when wolves are nearby. |
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Among the most impressive beasts of |
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musk oxen shaggy wanderers that |
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a great challenge to the wolves. |
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How far off would you say that is, |
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Oh, I'd guess a mile. |
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Close to a mile. |
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Well, I see at least five musk oxen. |
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They must have journeyed up from |
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I don't know if they're trying to |
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Those animals can't eat now while |
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I wonder if there's a calf in there? |
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There must be a calf |
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Yeah, there is a calf, |
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That's why they're so interested. |
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A standing circle of musk oxen |
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But it's part of the nature |
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kill animals larger than themselves. |
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It's a skill that Mech and |
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Yeah, that male, that male wolf |
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Looks like they've lost interest, huh? |
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Yeah, they're probably going back |
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That's very defensible position |
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Maybe if there were more wolves. |
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This is a usual situation if |
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The difficulties of filming a hunt |
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with as much of a challenge as the |
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In the perpetual light of summer, |
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the Arctic can become |
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On these July days, |
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for the comfort of the pups, |
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As summer races on, |
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the heart of Ellesmere's tundra |
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Long-tailed jaegers raise |
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dwarf willow and mosses. |
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Wolves often pass close to the nest |
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take advantage of the easy prey. |
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They jaegers, nevertheless, |
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The wolves appear |
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to these aggressive summer visitors. |
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They seem unwilling to |
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in battle with the jaegers. |
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They'll save their energy for |
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Both the jaegers and the wolves have |
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who've stopped for lunch. |
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As we lay there watching the wolves |
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Of course, it was tempting to give |
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and they welcomed any tidbit |
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This helped develop a rapport between |
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useful to our being able to |
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It's a remarkable moment |
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an encounter between bird, |
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Still, the boldness of the wolves |
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Camping out right in the wolves back |
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where I had the feeling at any time |
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in and really torn the camp apart. |
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Because if they see something |
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that's like a toy, a plaything |
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tease each other with it. |
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And, of course, they seem to have a |
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And I think at times they felt |
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and they could do pretty much |
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At times it pays to "speak wolf". |
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Every day, Jim Brandenburg is |
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trying to anticipate the moment |
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track down a musk ox herd. |
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This particular day they woke up and |
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woke up with lots of excitement. |
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And I sensed very strongly that |
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Some days they would leave the den |
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casually and be gone for |
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But this particular day they took off |
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single file, a very quick pace, |
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the kind of pace that even with the |
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it was very difficult to keep up. |
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The rough ground is no obstacle |
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Each travels purposefully. |
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The pack has spread out but keeps in |
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While the wolves are within |
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their howls are heard by the pups |
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Brandenburg, loaded with film |
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is prepared to travel for days |
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One of the advantages of working in |
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in lower latitudes is you have |
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Here the wolves could never really |
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that they were always on stage with |
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And if we could simply keep up |
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eventually that scene could be |
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There are anxious moments when the |
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Brandenburg has only their tracks |
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The wolves have traveled 30 miles |
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Finally, he catches up to the pack |
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as they search for a place to cross |
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Again, his hopes of filming an attack |
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It was quite a frustrating experience |
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watching the wolves continue |
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knowing that they were clearly going |
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With summer running out, |
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that a change in plan is imperative. |
| 00:23:09 |
Rather than follow the pack, |
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following all that happens right here |
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It made sense to commit a complete |
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Watch everything that happened, |
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try to film the highlights |
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And I'd hoped to show an aspect of |
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near the den site, |
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their interaction, their naps, |
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Anything that might happen within |
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Here comes one. |
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He's go hind feet |
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or she does, it's a female. |
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It's interesting, |
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hind quarter back, or often they do. |
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But I mean I've never seen them bring |
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They may bring the whole hare. |
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The strategy begins to pay off |
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A small drama of pack life unfolds |
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another demonstration of the way |
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its rank in the family unit. |
| 00:24:21 |
It appear that as part of their |
| 00:24:23 |
the subordinates have to bring food |
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This probably helps maintain their |
| 00:24:32 |
Even when hungry themselves |
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still will deliver food to the pups. |
| 00:24:41 |
It seems that the dominant wolves |
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even though the underlings |
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they must not forget who's boss. |
| 00:24:58 |
As I watched them closely, |
| 00:25:01 |
subordinates would actually |
| 00:25:06 |
Most are young animals that are still |
| 00:25:09 |
so this surplus food forms an |
| 00:25:14 |
Wish I knew which male that was. |
| 00:25:17 |
I think it's the one that limps. |
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Left shoulder's the one |
| 00:25:21 |
He's got a little limp |
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today as well as his left front. |
| 00:25:30 |
Telling each of the pack members |
| 00:25:34 |
and a difficult thing to do. |
| 00:25:36 |
However, we were aided by the fact |
| 00:25:40 |
dominated the other |
| 00:25:43 |
And in doing so held |
| 00:25:49 |
To keep track of individual wolves. |
| 00:25:52 |
Mech uses names like Shaggy, |
| 00:25:57 |
His observations show him that the |
| 00:26:00 |
recognition signal besides |
| 00:26:04 |
The Alpha Male was also |
| 00:26:07 |
he raised his leg when he urinated. |
| 00:26:10 |
The Alpha Female does that as well. |
| 00:26:12 |
This raised-leg urination is |
| 00:26:15 |
the two together in a sexual tie. |
| 00:26:19 |
That tie is recognized by all the |
| 00:26:31 |
It's quite warm today on |
| 00:26:33 |
and the wolves, |
| 00:26:36 |
may need some way of cooling |
| 00:26:39 |
Below the surface of the |
| 00:26:43 |
The animals have little trouble |
| 00:26:53 |
The softest spots are the |
| 00:26:55 |
I've actually watched wolves |
| 00:26:58 |
as long as 18 hours at a time. |
| 00:27:06 |
There's not much happening. |
| 00:27:08 |
Jim, I think I'm gonna run a little |
| 00:27:11 |
about the same and the wind, |
| 00:27:14 |
And I'm also in the same position. |
| 00:27:18 |
I'm gonna run down, |
| 00:27:21 |
And I'll go quite a ways. |
| 00:27:22 |
I'm gonna imitate a strange |
| 00:27:24 |
Sound good. |
| 00:27:26 |
Yeah. I'll record what time it was |
| 00:27:28 |
a response here you record the time |
| 00:27:31 |
Yeah. Yeah. See you later. |
| 00:27:35 |
Thanks. I'll see you later. |
| 00:29:13 |
Eventually, Dave's imitations seem |
| 00:29:17 |
The pack is drawing together, |
| 00:29:18 |
though there may be some other |
| 00:29:35 |
Two of the pack are waving their |
| 00:29:39 |
telling the others that |
| 00:29:42 |
Mech, however, |
| 00:29:46 |
So what happened? |
| 00:29:47 |
Soon as you howled they listened, |
| 00:29:51 |
And it was a very casual |
| 00:29:54 |
What, these other two came back... |
| 00:29:56 |
Yeah, it was the Alpha Male |
| 00:29:59 |
OK. |
| 00:30:00 |
With their tails up really high. |
| 00:30:02 |
Clearly an expression of |
| 00:30:04 |
They had a fight down on the draw here |
| 00:30:07 |
With one of the other females? |
| 00:30:10 |
Couldn't see them. |
| 00:30:11 |
Then they ran up on the hillside here |
| 00:30:16 |
It was difficult to sort it out. |
| 00:30:18 |
They were pinning each other. |
| 00:30:21 |
They were growling, biting, |
| 00:30:24 |
A mass and a swirl, |
| 00:30:27 |
here in the green, green area. |
| 00:30:29 |
And it's hard to say what... |
| 00:30:30 |
Did the pups get in on |
| 00:30:32 |
A little. |
| 00:30:34 |
They were following around |
| 00:30:40 |
The 24 hour vigil is paying off. |
| 00:30:43 |
Despite some long periods |
| 00:30:46 |
there is also some intriguing behavior |
| 00:30:51 |
Another arctic hare has been brought |
| 00:30:55 |
their second of the day. |
| 00:30:56 |
At 10 weeks old, the young wolves |
| 00:31:03 |
When a pup is lucky enough to get a |
| 00:31:05 |
he has to run as far away as |
| 00:31:09 |
it stolen by his litter mates. |
| 00:31:18 |
At this point I get the impression |
| 00:31:20 |
the others and that all tend to get |
| 00:31:34 |
When a large chunk of meat is brought |
| 00:31:37 |
The Alpha pair are the first to try |
| 00:31:40 |
But a tug of war develops that allows |
| 00:31:44 |
to get a portion of the food. |
| 00:31:51 |
The hare was caught nearby. |
| 00:31:53 |
When prey is killed too far away to |
| 00:31:57 |
There is an alternative |
| 00:32:02 |
As pups are weaned from nursing |
| 00:32:05 |
more and more of their food comes |
| 00:32:09 |
The adults feed perhaps |
| 00:32:12 |
carry the food in their stomach |
| 00:32:17 |
As an adult approaches with a full |
| 00:32:19 |
to watch the pups mob it, |
| 00:32:22 |
Particularly licking around |
| 00:32:24 |
And this triggers the adult to |
| 00:32:29 |
Several weeks of watching it at a |
| 00:32:33 |
I had always hoped to be at |
| 00:32:35 |
because it was a very important |
| 00:32:39 |
The 24-hour watch gave an opportunity |
| 00:32:55 |
The Alpha Female brought back a |
| 00:33:00 |
She for some reason chose not to do |
| 00:33:03 |
She unloaded her precious cargo right |
| 00:33:07 |
And the pups quickly gobbled it up. |
| 00:33:12 |
Remaining alert throughout the |
| 00:33:14 |
But the plan's success |
| 00:33:19 |
Brandenburg can finally rest, |
| 00:33:21 |
but his dream of photographing |
| 00:33:27 |
During Mech's turn on watch, |
| 00:33:33 |
From the start, |
| 00:33:35 |
and most tolerant of the group. |
| 00:33:37 |
This visit from her is a |
| 00:33:40 |
and rapport between wolf and man. |
| 00:33:59 |
Curiosity satisfied for the time being |
| 00:34:03 |
Leaving behind two very |
| 00:34:17 |
Before this visit to Elsmere, |
| 00:34:20 |
had managed to come to a |
| 00:34:24 |
Now a wolf has come to him, |
| 00:34:27 |
and these 24 hours have been |
| 00:34:35 |
As the wolves bed down and |
| 00:34:38 |
Mech decides on his next move to take |
| 00:34:44 |
I really wanted to see just how close |
| 00:34:48 |
If I could get close enough |
| 00:34:50 |
I could identify each one |
| 00:34:53 |
Or at least find a way of |
| 00:34:56 |
And that would allow me then to see |
| 00:34:59 |
individual who was more aggressive |
| 00:35:02 |
or got more food, or perhaps was |
| 00:35:07 |
But all this would require |
| 00:35:10 |
I also wanted to see just how Mom |
| 00:35:13 |
when I was that close to her pups. |
| 00:35:20 |
It's three a.m. on a sunny |
| 00:35:24 |
For whatever reason, Mom began to |
| 00:35:28 |
I would have loved to have |
| 00:35:30 |
But being so close to the den I |
| 00:35:34 |
would have upset the entire pack. |
| 00:35:36 |
Nevertheless, I couldn't resist at |
| 00:35:52 |
When he first arrived on Ellesmere, |
| 00:35:55 |
that the would ever get this close |
| 00:35:58 |
But the short summer season |
| 00:36:02 |
The men still dream of following the |
| 00:36:05 |
before the arrival of winter. |
| 00:36:18 |
Time was running out, |
| 00:36:20 |
sequence was crucial to the |
| 00:36:23 |
In some ways the longer I waited |
| 00:36:27 |
As the pups get older they require |
| 00:36:31 |
And the pack becomes more and more |
| 00:36:38 |
The weather was right, |
| 00:36:41 |
the wolves were very intent, |
| 00:36:43 |
so this particular day all the |
| 00:36:47 |
I had my own reason for wanting to |
| 00:36:50 |
In the past I've seen several |
| 00:36:54 |
But each time it was only a swarm of |
| 00:36:59 |
With the Ellesmere pack I may well be |
| 00:37:03 |
each particular wolf in the entire |
| 00:37:13 |
Catching a musk ox is not an easy job |
| 00:37:17 |
and still avoid their |
| 00:37:22 |
But when he wolves get close, |
| 00:37:26 |
group together, and face them. |
| 00:37:41 |
They continue to harass the musk oxen |
| 00:37:46 |
When a herd panics it gives the |
| 00:37:50 |
without so much fear of being injured. |
| 00:38:01 |
Both predator and prey have to |
| 00:38:03 |
and skirmishes like this may |
| 00:38:57 |
If the herd is healthy a few such |
| 00:39:01 |
that it's time to give up |
| 00:39:25 |
The pack rested for 45 minutes |
| 00:39:28 |
and then took off |
| 00:39:36 |
We knew right away that the next |
| 00:39:40 |
This herd had at least three calves. |
| 00:39:42 |
And it is the calves that the wolves |
| 00:40:05 |
I could see that it was the Alpha pair |
| 00:40:11 |
One of the more interesting aspects |
| 00:40:14 |
personalities of the wolves. |
| 00:40:16 |
How I got to know them back at the |
| 00:40:18 |
and what I saw in front of me seemed |
| 00:40:21 |
They truly became killing machines. |
| 00:40:38 |
The wolves separated out |
| 00:40:40 |
and the calf's mother decided to |
| 00:40:45 |
It's hard to know where to look |
| 00:40:46 |
cause the rest of the pack tried |
| 00:41:06 |
Meanwhile back with the first calf |
| 00:41:25 |
Even with the whole pack on its head |
| 00:41:27 |
for the calf to go down. |
| 00:41:36 |
For three tense hours |
| 00:41:40 |
Dave and Jim witness a scene |
| 00:41:49 |
The Alpha pair takes |
| 00:41:52 |
even though the whole pack |
| 00:41:57 |
The wolf depends on meat |
| 00:42:00 |
Its ability to catch, |
| 00:42:03 |
its prey has been honed over |
| 00:42:09 |
But this behavior after the kill |
| 00:42:11 |
was new to the photographer |
| 00:42:14 |
Who had seen it elsewhere but was |
| 00:42:22 |
What seems to be going on is that |
| 00:42:25 |
are food begging just as |
| 00:42:40 |
Although this was a |
| 00:42:43 |
I was jubilant to have seen |
| 00:42:45 |
And to have been able to confirm the |
| 00:42:54 |
The wolves consume |
| 00:42:56 |
but the calf is large, |
| 00:42:59 |
Chunks are carried off to be buried |
| 00:43:03 |
a natural form of cold storage. |
| 00:43:06 |
The wolves may return for the food |
| 00:43:09 |
and the pups are hungry. |
| 00:43:21 |
Their stomachs full of food |
| 00:43:24 |
the wolves are ready to begin the |
| 00:43:28 |
They've suffered some injuries, |
| 00:43:30 |
but all five are strong |
| 00:44:01 |
By September the pups |
| 00:44:04 |
thanks to successful hunting |
| 00:44:07 |
They'll need stamina and strength to |
| 00:44:14 |
Already the sunshine is weakening |
| 00:44:17 |
that precedes the long darkness |
| 00:44:29 |
The arctic wolves coats are now long |
| 00:44:32 |
them from temperatures that will |
| 00:44:44 |
Shrouded in snow |
| 00:44:47 |
The adults must still hunt and |
| 00:44:51 |
But no one knows |
| 00:44:54 |
That remains an Arctic mystery, |
| 00:44:58 |
that can only be continued |
| 00:45:13 |
It is the following spring. |
| 00:45:16 |
Mech and Brandenburg have returned to |
| 00:45:20 |
When I returned once again in the |
| 00:45:25 |
Three members were missing |
| 00:45:29 |
probably one of the subordinates |
| 00:45:35 |
What happened to the old Alpha Male |
| 00:45:37 |
but three wolves were found dead |
| 00:45:45 |
Getting to know the small, |
| 00:45:49 |
watching them grow |
| 00:45:51 |
was invested in them by the adults, |
| 00:45:53 |
knowing they going into a very |
| 00:45:56 |
what'd ever become of them, |
| 00:45:57 |
knowing that they all can't survive. |
| 00:46:00 |
Most of the time the wolves go off |
| 00:46:03 |
But to be able to go over |
| 00:46:05 |
and feel the ribs sticking out |
| 00:46:11 |
The mysteries of winter lead to more |
| 00:46:14 |
Did these animals die of starvation, |
| 00:46:20 |
When and why did the change in the |
| 00:46:25 |
The more I watch these wolves the |
| 00:46:29 |
As the pack composition changes from |
| 00:46:32 |
the social behavior changes, |
| 00:46:34 |
Both in relation to each other |
| 00:46:41 |
Seeing the wolves around the den again |
| 00:46:43 |
immediately told me that |
| 00:46:46 |
of good data collecting. |
| 00:46:55 |
I was absolutely certain |
| 00:46:57 |
when I saw the mother emerge begging |
| 00:47:03 |
She really can't hunt much on her own |
| 00:47:07 |
since she must stay in the den and |
| 00:47:16 |
In a remarkable display of tolerance, |
| 00:47:19 |
Mon allows Brandenburg to enter |
| 00:47:24 |
It was a difficult decision whether |
| 00:47:27 |
Once it was made it was |
| 00:47:31 |
that they trusted me so much |
| 00:47:33 |
that they allowed me with their young. |
| 00:47:41 |
These pictures are courtesy of |
| 00:47:44 |
Can we return its trust, |
| 00:47:49 |
belief that these are nothing but |
| 00:47:57 |
In the high Arctic, |
| 00:47:59 |
man has now seen more of wolves |
| 00:48:02 |
Brandenburg and Mech have |
| 00:48:05 |
resilient creatures, |
| 00:48:08 |
by their complex social rules, |
| 00:48:12 |
for the sake of survival. |
