0:00:02 > 0:00:05How can wolfbloods run so fast and for so long?
0:00:06 > 0:00:08Why are their senses so intense?
0:00:08 > 0:00:10SHE SNIFFS
0:00:10 > 0:00:12And why is family so important to them?
0:00:14 > 0:00:17It all comes down to the extraordinary wild wolves
0:00:17 > 0:00:19that they share so many qualities with.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22In this series, we'll uncover the truth about wolves
0:00:22 > 0:00:26and reveal just why wolfbloods are the way that they are.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28This is Wolfblood Uncovered.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50HOWLING
0:00:53 > 0:00:56In this episode, we'll discover why wolves howl,
0:00:56 > 0:00:59how they develop this skill
0:00:59 > 0:01:03and how they communicate with each other in more mysterious ways.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11One of the things wolves are known for is howling.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13HE HOWLS
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Of course, this conjures up the classic image
0:01:17 > 0:01:18of a wolf howling at the moon.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21But howling is simply their way of communicating with each other.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24Although wolfbloods don't howl when they're in human form,
0:01:24 > 0:01:27they do have similar abilities which are equally as impressive.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31When Maddy found out that an ancient wolfblood ability,
0:01:31 > 0:01:34"eolas", had been kept from her by her mum and dad,
0:01:34 > 0:01:35she ran away.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42And when her parents joined forces with Rhydian
0:01:42 > 0:01:44and tracked her to the woods the next day,
0:01:44 > 0:01:48she used a handy wolfblood way of speaking to them from a distance
0:01:48 > 0:01:49to avoid being found.
0:01:52 > 0:01:57Stop! Traitor - you're supposed to be on my side. Our side.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59Maddy, you don't know what you're doing.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01NO! You don't know what you're doing, helping them.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04This is who we are, this is what we're meant to be.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08- Maddy, listen to me... - No, you listen. You lied to us.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12You knew about eolas and withheld it from us.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14You withheld my birthright.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17I'm sorry. It's my fault. Come out, we'll talk about it.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22That's all you ever do, talk - to control and manipulate us.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24- Maddy, that's not true. - How would you know?
0:02:24 > 0:02:26She's got you under the thumb as well.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28Don't talk to your father like that!
0:02:28 > 0:02:30Everything this man does, he does for you.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Man? He's not supposed to be a man.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35He's supposed to be a wolfblood.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39You don't understand, Maddy. Eolas is dangerous, it's addictive.
0:02:39 > 0:02:44More lies! Eolas is our birthright and I'll use it how I please.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48That's just it - you're not using it, Maddy. It's using you.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51- Come and get us, then.- Maddy...wait.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55So in the same way that Maddy could be heard over a distance,
0:02:55 > 0:02:59wolves can hear other wolves' howls from miles away.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02This type of long-distance communication is amazing.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06The shape of the muzzle actually amplifies the sound further -
0:03:06 > 0:03:07sort of like a megaphone.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13By projecting in this way...
0:03:13 > 0:03:15YOUR MESSAGE GETS LOUDER!
0:03:15 > 0:03:19But like any other kind of skill, it takes time to develop.
0:03:19 > 0:03:20So where does it all begin?
0:03:26 > 0:03:28For the first two weeks of their lives,
0:03:28 > 0:03:30wolf pups are actually completely deaf.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37But they still make lots of noise so their mum knows where they are
0:03:37 > 0:03:40and can avoid hurting or squashing them by accident.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44As they get older, they squeal, scream and yelp,
0:03:44 > 0:03:47before they learn to make more grown-up sounds
0:03:47 > 0:03:49like whines and barks.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53WOLF PUPS YELP
0:03:53 > 0:03:56They start to join in with the daily howl
0:03:56 > 0:03:58from as early as three weeks old.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02But it's after six months that they really find their voice
0:04:02 > 0:04:04and sound just like an adult wolf.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10A wolf's howl can travel up to six miles through thick forest
0:04:10 > 0:04:13and up to ten miles over open terrain.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22The key to it travelling this incredible distance
0:04:22 > 0:04:24is its deep sound.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30High frequency sounds bounce off objects easily
0:04:30 > 0:04:32or get absorbed by trees and rocks,
0:04:32 > 0:04:36but sounds with a low frequency, like a wolf howl,
0:04:36 > 0:04:37can make it through.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43So a long, deep howl is more likely to travel further.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51For the best howl, wolves position themselves on high, open ground,
0:04:51 > 0:04:52and throw the sound upwards
0:04:52 > 0:04:55so that it carries over the mountains and valleys.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00And to really turn up the volume, wolves howl together.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02WOLVES HOWL
0:05:06 > 0:05:08But why do they need this amazing communication tool,
0:05:08 > 0:05:10and what do they use it for?
0:05:14 > 0:05:17It all comes down to a wolf pack's lifeline -
0:05:17 > 0:05:19its territory.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25Having their own patch of land allows them to protect their family,
0:05:25 > 0:05:28guard fresh kills and have the best access to potential prey.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33But the size of their territory can be vast,
0:05:33 > 0:05:37extending for hundreds of square miles over changing terrain,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40so they need their impressive howl to reach as far as possible
0:05:40 > 0:05:42to cover these areas.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55The sound of wolves howling in chorus is truly remarkable.
0:05:55 > 0:05:56Each pack creates a different sound
0:05:56 > 0:05:58and the meaning of the message will depend
0:05:58 > 0:06:00on whether they know them or not.
0:06:02 > 0:06:03To a pack mate who's lost,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06the howl could mean, "We're here - where are you?"
0:06:07 > 0:06:10But to rival packs, a howl is a warning -
0:06:10 > 0:06:12"Beware. This is OUR patch."
0:06:15 > 0:06:19Howling together makes a pack sound bigger and more formidable,
0:06:19 > 0:06:23so it's often a pretty successful way for them to defend their territory,
0:06:23 > 0:06:25because it warns off rivals from a distance.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30However, if another pack replies,
0:06:30 > 0:06:32then it means they're prepared to hold their ground
0:06:32 > 0:06:34and remain where they are.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37A stand-off begins.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41WOLVES HOWL
0:06:48 > 0:06:52But in order to avoid conflict, one pack will eventually fall silent
0:06:52 > 0:06:54and retreat from the area.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58So with these communication skills,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01it makes sense that Maddy's parents could hear her
0:07:01 > 0:07:04even though they didn't know where she was hiding.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08Also, wolfbloods have one other incredible communication ability
0:07:08 > 0:07:10that doesn't use sound at all.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13- Focus on my eyes.- OK.
0:07:15 > 0:07:21OK - don't get all creepy on me, just relax. Breathe.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Mum told me that the wild bloods call it "eolas".
0:07:25 > 0:07:28She said you can't just look.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30You have to feel -
0:07:30 > 0:07:33feel what's under you, feel what's around you.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35If you can, you'll connect to your oldest instincts,
0:07:35 > 0:07:37your primal nature.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39- And then you'll know what eolas is... - Shh!
0:07:41 > 0:07:42I'm trying to focus here.
0:07:54 > 0:07:55Are you OK?
0:08:11 > 0:08:12I can see everything.
0:08:14 > 0:08:15FLY BUZZES
0:08:15 > 0:08:16Hear everything.
0:08:18 > 0:08:19This is amazing.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25Eolas is a supernatural ability that wolfbloods can have fun with
0:08:25 > 0:08:27and also use to keep in touch with each other.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29Although wolves don't use eolas,
0:08:29 > 0:08:32they do have ways of communicating with each other without making sound
0:08:32 > 0:08:34which are just as incredible.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43Body language is very important to the social hierarchy of wolves.
0:08:43 > 0:08:48Each pack has a dominant male and a dominant female, called alphas.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51The alphas are the only wolves in a pack
0:08:51 > 0:08:53that will breed and have pups
0:08:53 > 0:08:56and to keep this position amongst the other wolves,
0:08:56 > 0:08:58they use a variety of different signals.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02When a wolf wants to remind the others it's the top dog,
0:09:02 > 0:09:05it stands tall and holds its head and tail high in the air.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09This dominant behaviour sends a clear message
0:09:09 > 0:09:12to show that they are a higher-ranking member of the pack.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Fellow pack members will show they understand these signals
0:09:15 > 0:09:17by crouching low to the ground
0:09:17 > 0:09:19with their tails tucked between their legs -
0:09:19 > 0:09:22a sign of submission and that they know who's the boss.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25A submissive wolf will lick the muzzle of another wolf
0:09:25 > 0:09:28and sometimes deliberately expose its belly.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30It's pretending to be a puppy.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36Doing this brings out the parental nature of the dominant wolf
0:09:36 > 0:09:37and makes them less aggressive.
0:09:40 > 0:09:45This range of behaviour shows that they're not going to cause trouble
0:09:45 > 0:09:47and their presence is not a threat.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53All this body language is really important when it comes to feeding.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59The wolves watch each other closely and are constantly reading the signs.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04The breeding pair need - and will get - the first pick of the food.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07Lower-ranking wolves must wait their turn.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12But sometimes, a lower-ranking wolf gets too pushy.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18The higher-ranking wolves respond by snarling and baring their teeth.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21And if these reminders don't work,
0:10:21 > 0:10:24the alphas will quickly put the troublemakers back in their place.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33Wolves are masters of communication.
0:10:33 > 0:10:34Using body language,
0:10:34 > 0:10:38they're able to maintain hierarchy and order within the pack.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40What's more, their impressive howl
0:10:40 > 0:10:43gives them the ability to communicate over great distances,
0:10:43 > 0:10:47allowing them to warn off rivals and reunite with family and friends.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49HE HOWLS
0:10:49 > 0:10:53In the same way, wolfbloods use their heightened sense of awareness
0:10:53 > 0:10:57to help them avoid danger and find each other in times of need.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04(Rhydian! Calm down - don't let on you can hear me.)
0:11:04 > 0:11:06How did you find me?
0:11:07 > 0:11:11A true wolfblood can always find their kin.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd