0:00:02 > 0:00:05'How can wolfbloods run so fast and for so long?
0:00:06 > 0:00:10'Why are their senses so intense?
0:00:10 > 0:00:12'And why is family so important to them?
0:00:14 > 0:00:17'It all comes down to the extraordinary wild wolves
0:00:17 > 0:00:20'that they share so many qualities with.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22'In this series, we'll uncover the truth about wolves
0:00:22 > 0:00:26'and reveal just why wolfbloods are the way that they are.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28'This is Wolfblood Uncovered.'
0:00:53 > 0:00:55'In this episode, we'll find out
0:00:55 > 0:00:57'about the surprising diversity of a wolf's diet
0:00:57 > 0:01:00'and discover the huge range of skills they use to hunt
0:01:00 > 0:01:02'and capture their prey.'
0:01:09 > 0:01:11Because Maddy and Rhydian are wolfbloods,
0:01:11 > 0:01:13they often stand out from their friends.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16They have better hearing and they're much stronger and faster,
0:01:16 > 0:01:18but they're different in other ways too.
0:01:18 > 0:01:23Wolfbloods need to eat meat, and a lot of meat at that.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25So, when Rhydian was in the lunch queue at school
0:01:25 > 0:01:28and wasn't able to see meat on the menu, he was getting desperate
0:01:28 > 0:01:31and couldn't even concentrate on what Maddy was saying.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33Can you just come for dinner tonight?
0:01:33 > 0:01:37Mam and Dad, they want to talk to us about...
0:01:37 > 0:01:39wolfing out safely.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45I know it's really, really embarrassing, but erm...
0:01:45 > 0:01:49- we should just get it out of the way.- Out of the way, yeah.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52And then when you change, me and Mam are going to braid your hair.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56With ribbon...
0:01:56 > 0:01:59and take pictures.
0:01:59 > 0:02:00Cool.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02You're not even listening to us, are you?
0:02:02 > 0:02:04Sorry, do you know what's on the menu?
0:02:04 > 0:02:06I think Wednesday is veggie day.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14- Meat.- Where?- You got cravings.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17They're vegetarians, Maddy.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21My foster parents. Vegetarian.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Well, Wednesday is hog roast night.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28You know, where you get a whole pig and roast it with all the trimmings.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31- A whole pig?- Fancy it?
0:02:31 > 0:02:33- Yeah.- Cool.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37I can't look at another vegetable.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48Madeline, leave some for Rhydian.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50Mam, I think he'll live.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52Your mother's gone to a lot of trouble for this.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54After all,
0:02:54 > 0:02:56- the- STAKES- are high.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00- Stop it, you silly- SAUSAGE.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03No, seriously, you two better stop that.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05- Hey, I- HAM- stopping.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08Right, that's it, I'm calling him, he's not coming.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11- KNOCK ON DOOR - Oh, that'll be him.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17Rhydian! I'm Daniel, come on in.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20- Pleased to- MEAT- you.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31Help yourself, mate. Have as much as you like.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Living in a house of vegetarians was hardly ideal
0:03:35 > 0:03:37for a wolfblood like Rhydian.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39So when Maddy invited him round for hog roast,
0:03:39 > 0:03:42he ate everything he could get his hands on.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45Eating meat is clearly a key part of life as a wolfblood
0:03:45 > 0:03:48because they're carnivores, just like wolves in the wild.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51But do wolves rely on just one source of food?
0:03:51 > 0:03:53Or is their diet more varied than that?
0:03:54 > 0:03:57'The range of prey that wolves eat is huge
0:03:57 > 0:04:00'and depends on the time of year and where they live.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02DUCK QUACKS
0:04:02 > 0:04:06'The food they like best is large hoofed animals such as elk,
0:04:06 > 0:04:08'moose, buffalo, and antelope.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12'They'll also eat much smaller animals,
0:04:12 > 0:04:14'such as arctic hares and beavers.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20'But wolves are opportunists and they can't afford to be fussy.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24'They have an amazing ability to locate food.
0:04:24 > 0:04:25'Any food.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28'Wolves that live near the coast have been known to
0:04:28 > 0:04:31'scavenge on beached whale.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34'They've been seen looking for mussels and snatching sea birds.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40'They'll also take fish from rivers and even eat insects,
0:04:40 > 0:04:41'plants and berries.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46'They chomp their food down quickly, otherwise
0:04:46 > 0:04:48'it might be stolen by scavengers.
0:04:51 > 0:04:52'And, just like Rhydian,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55'if wolves haven't eaten meat for a long time, they'll gorge on it.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03'They can consume up to nine kilograms in one meal,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06'which is like eating 80 burgers in one go.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10'They need to be able to do this
0:05:10 > 0:05:13'because catching large prey isn't easy
0:05:13 > 0:05:17'and it might be as much as two weeks before the next big meal.'
0:05:19 > 0:05:20So it's no surprise that Rhydian
0:05:20 > 0:05:23wolfed down his food at Maddy's house,
0:05:23 > 0:05:25but it's not always that easy to get meat
0:05:25 > 0:05:27when the cravings hit, and hit hard.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31MADDY GROWLS
0:05:31 > 0:05:34'When Shannon gave Maddy one of her mum's homeopathic remedies to cure
0:05:34 > 0:05:38'her cold, she started to transform into a wolf,
0:05:38 > 0:05:40'making her meat cravings very difficult to ignore.'
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Meat!
0:05:44 > 0:05:45'She began to hunt down Shannon,
0:05:45 > 0:05:50'who was taking meat out into the forest to attract her monster.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52Meat, meat.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00Meat! Meat!
0:06:03 > 0:06:06'Fortunately, Rhydian realised something was up.'
0:06:06 > 0:06:07Maddy...
0:06:22 > 0:06:23This is perfect.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26We are so going to see the beast tonight.
0:06:30 > 0:06:31MADDY GROWLS
0:06:31 > 0:06:34Meat!
0:06:56 > 0:06:58Stop! Did you hear that?
0:07:02 > 0:07:05Is that you, Rhydian?
0:07:05 > 0:07:06Oh.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10Very funny. Hilarious.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12You've scared the beast off now.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Rhydian was able to give Maddy some thistle root as a cure
0:07:17 > 0:07:20to change her back to her normal self just in time.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Who knows what would have happened if he hadn't been there to stop her?
0:07:23 > 0:07:27Now, wolves are excellent hunters and this is part of the reason why.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29Just look at those incredible teeth.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32There's 42 of them in total, we only have 32.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35Now, that is not something you'd want coming at you at full speed,
0:07:35 > 0:07:39but that is just what happens during the hunt.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44'Wolves tend to work together in a group when it comes to finding
0:07:44 > 0:07:47'and bringing down prey.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51'And success depends completely on picking out the right target.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57'Select the wrong animal and it can end up being pretty painful,
0:07:57 > 0:08:00'as this wolf found out when taking on a buffalo.'
0:08:06 > 0:08:09'This buffalo is very big to tackle alone...
0:08:11 > 0:08:14'..and with a closer look, the wolf makes a good decision.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18'Prey will even fight back,
0:08:18 > 0:08:20'especially if they've got young to protect.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25'Here, two wolves are trying to take down this musk ox calf
0:08:25 > 0:08:27'and the whole herd comes to the rescue.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35'The wolves sensibly back off.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38'Injuries can be life threatening.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43'If they don't find a suitable target,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46'wolves will give up the hunt rather than risk getting hurt.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51'So not many hunts are successful -
0:08:51 > 0:08:55'sometimes as few as one in ten end in a kill.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57'To help them select the best target,
0:08:57 > 0:09:00'wolves want their prey to be on the move.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03'This is because when animals are running, it's much easier for
0:09:03 > 0:09:07'wolves to spot the weak, diseased, young or older members of the herd.'
0:09:12 > 0:09:15'In this hunt, the wolves have pinpointed a potential victim,
0:09:15 > 0:09:20'a young female elk about five times as heavy as they are.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23'But the pack has noticed something which makes her vulnerable.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27'She's got a bony growth on her leg,
0:09:27 > 0:09:31'possibly from a kick or a fall in the past,
0:09:31 > 0:09:32'and now she's slightly lame.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38'This amazing ability to spot weakness
0:09:38 > 0:09:41'puts the wolf in the premier league of killers.'
0:09:43 > 0:09:46'After a long pursuit, the elk is exhausted
0:09:46 > 0:09:48'and that injured leg means she can't maintain her speed.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53'Two wolves have latched on, the rest of them
0:09:53 > 0:09:56'join in, and the elk is brought down.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00'But once they've caught their prey,
0:10:00 > 0:10:02'how are these extraordinary animals able to eat it,
0:10:02 > 0:10:05'getting through tough skin and skeleton?
0:10:06 > 0:10:10'As well as their teeth - perfect for crunching through bone -
0:10:10 > 0:10:12'the wolves have an incredibly powerful jaw,
0:10:12 > 0:10:15'with a crushing power three times greater than ours.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20'And their neck muscles are also extremely strong.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23'They bite in, brace themselves back using their front legs and use their
0:10:23 > 0:10:26'entire body weight to shake their head from side to side,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29'wrenching out pieces of meat.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33'They devour the soft parts first, then the flesh
0:10:33 > 0:10:36'and they'll even consume the bones.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40'And with big kills, they'll eat on and off for days
0:10:40 > 0:10:42'until there's almost nothing left.'
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Wolves are extremely efficient predators
0:10:49 > 0:10:50and at the top of their game.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53And even though wolfbloods don't have to hunt for their food,
0:10:53 > 0:10:55their craving for meat is still the same.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58It needs to be satisfied if they want to keep out of trouble.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06Most people cook it first.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08- You smell those burgers?- Maddy, no!
0:11:08 > 0:11:11- I'm starving.- Maddy, no!
0:11:11 > 0:11:13- I need meat!- You're not going in there.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Can't you smell it?
0:11:16 > 0:11:20- You need the bathroom.- I need meat!
0:11:35 > 0:11:38Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd