Intelligence Wolfblood Uncovered

How can wolfbloods run so fast and for so long?

Why are their senses so intense?

SHE SNIFFS

And why is family so important to them?

It all comes down to the extraordinary wild wolves

that they share so many qualities with.

HOWLING

In this series, we'll uncover the truth about wolves

and reveal just why wolfbloods are the way that they are.

This is Wolfblood Uncovered.

BIRDS CAW

THUNDER RUMBLES

HOWLING

In this episode, we'll explore wolf intelligence and find out

how their cunning nature has played a part

in saving them from extinction.

Being a wolfblood does have its advantages.

They're extremely strong, lightning fast

and have super senses.

But it does have its drawbacks too.

It's not always easy for Maddy and Rhydian

to lead a normal teenage life.

They have to constantly have their wits about them

to stop people finding out the secret.

Because of this, they have to be able to think on their feet

and be very good at problem-solving.

Leading up to Maddy's first transformation,

she also had exams to think about

and in one of them, the pressure got too much and she almost transformed,

forcing Rhydian to come to her rescue

with a resourceful distraction.

Nice of you to show your face, Rhydian.

Now, settle down, everyone.

You have exactly one hour starting...

..now. You may open your papers.

TAPPING

RAPID HEARTBEATS

COUGHING

HEARTBEATS GET LOUDER

HEART BEATS FASTER

SCRAPING AND PANTING

FAINT HOWLING

ALARM RINGS

Don't panic! Stay calm, everybody, please.

Maddy, it's over.

OK?

-SHE PANTS

-Keep calm. Deep breaths, yeah?

Rhydian Morris, you are in big trouble, young man.

So intelligence and problem-solving ability is clearly important

to wolfbloods if they want to keep their secret.

But is it part of their wolf-like abilities?

Well, actually, it could be,

cos wolves are known for being particularly smart.

So what makes them so clever?

They have big brains, 30% bigger than the average dog.

They have good memories and they have demonstrated the ability

to learn and apply knowledge.

There are lots of accounts

that illustrate this capacity for learning.

For example, during the heyday of buffalo hunting,

wolves apparently learned to head towards the sound of gunshot...

GUNSHOT

..then would wait while hunters skinned out the buffalo

and eat the abandoned carcasses as soon as the hunters left.

So how else does this intelligence benefit them

in their everyday lives?

Well, it's thought that it could help them to survive

in the diverse range of changing environments

that they make their home.

They may have become good at problem-solving

because of the variety of challenges they face

in the many different habitats that they live in...

..from frozen wastelands to dense forests.

And depending on where they are and what time of the year it is

their food sources vary hugely,

so they have to be able to decide what food they want to look for.

And that's when their excellent memories come in handy.

They learn from experience that herds of prey don't move randomly,

but visit their favourite feeding grounds

at certain times of year.

This knowledge is passed from one generation to the next,

and from year to year they can remember

where their prey should be at any time.

WOLF PANTS

It's almost as if they have some kind of mental map of the area

and the different prey sources that live in it.

All their prey items have their pros and cons

and working out what to hunt and when is vital to a successful kill.

They need this learned knowledge to help them select

the easiest prey to hunt at that time.

For example, they know that bighorn sheep are relatively small,

but they live in groups and have serious headgear...

..whereas animals like moose are much bigger but are solitary

and roam large territories.

This ability to make mental maps of their territories

and remember their prey's movements

is probably key to their success as predators.

So perhaps Maddy and Rhydian's problem-solving ability

is partly down to the fact they're wolfbloods.

But in their quest to keep who they really are a secret,

it's not always about solving problems.

Sometimes they have to be cunning too,

like when Rhydian was locked up in the police station

during the full moon,

Maddy and her parents had to think of a way to outwit the police

so they'd release Rhydian before he transformed.

They're keeping him overnight.

They can't.

-They can't!

-Hang on, Dan.

-If you run now, you can make it to the moor.

-And leave you?

Rhydian's going to be in that cell when the moon rises.

At least you can get away.

That's it!

You can get Rhydian out of there, Dad.

If you tell them what will happen if you don't.

What?!

You need to tell them...

I suggest you take your family home

and come back for this one in the morning. I'll show you out.

Very well. But there's something that you need to know.

Rhydian suffers from a psychological condition

known as clinical lycanthropy.

-He thinks he's a werewolf?

-Exactly.

It's a recognised psychological condition.

Every full moon he gets distressed, even uncontrollable.

And I'm not talking bad behaviour. I mean serious physical symptoms.

HE PANTS

Right, right. OK.

If you don't believe me you can talk to his psychiatrist.

Ahh!

HE GROWLS

Panic attacks, animal behaviour.

Growling.

HE GROWLS

Snarling.

Scratching at the door trying to get out.

HE ROARS

-I really don't...

-Rhydian is in your custody.

And now that you understand the full context of his behaviour,

if he comes to any harm in that room, it's your fault.

Inspector Bolton.

Please, release him into my care before he does any real harm.

Navigating teenage life may seem very different to a life as a wolf,

but, surprisingly, over the centuries,

wolves have had to outwit people a lot

and if accounts are to be believed, then they're pretty good at it.

In North America, wolves have been hunted throughout history

because they were known to kill livestock

and they were wiped out from huge parts of their range.

But despite widespread trapping, poisoning and shooting,

some individuals dodged the persecutors

and in the process they became local legends.

One of those legends was a wolf called Lobo.

GUNSHOT AND RICOCHET

Ranchers tried to kill him by poisoning carcasses,

but he didn't eat them.

They tried to kill him with traps and by hunting parties,

but these efforts also failed.

Eventually, a man called Ernest Thompson Seton

was offered a reward for capturing Lobo.

He subsequently wrote a book about this experience,

because Lobo was so successful at avoiding capture.

What initially started as a two-week job became an epic battle

which lasted months and ultimately changed the way

Seton felt about wolves.

He tried all methods of hunting him down,

but Lobo always managed to get away.

Wolf biologists believe that when you repeatedly trap

and catch wolves in a particular area, they get educated.

You teach them how to avoid getting caught.

So wolves like Lobo that survived being captured

learned from the traps, guns and the poison

that people were using to kill them.

Seton did eventually kill Lobo by capturing and killing

his mate Blanca, then tempting him in with her body.

WOLF WHIMPERS

Lobo's loyalty to his mate was his undoing.

He was the last wolf that Seton killed

and Seton's experience with Lobo permanently changed

his attitude to these incredible creatures.

His story of Lobo touched the hearts of many

and is thought to be partly responsible for changing views

towards the environment

and may have played a part in starting the conservation movement.

So although that is a sad story, it did have positive outcomes.

It shows that wolves have the capacity to be extremely intelligent

and that's important when it comes to catching their prey

and avoiding being caught themselves.

So it's not just teenagers who turn into wolves

that have to be cunning and clever.

-You have to get out of here, like, now.

-What? Why?

-I'm comfy.

-The blood test, you idiot. They'll see you're not human.

-WHISPERING:

-They'll find out you're a wolfblood.

-DOOR BUZZES

-Let me get the door for you.

HE WHISTLES

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd