0:00:02 > 0:00:06How can wolfbloods run so fast and for so long?
0:00:06 > 0:00:08Why are their senses so intense?
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.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56In this episode we'll explore why wolves are featured
0:00:56 > 0:00:59so heavily in our myths and folklore and find out how our attitude
0:00:59 > 0:01:03towards them has influenced their survival.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13Throughout most of history, people have been fascinated by wolves.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15We have a long and complicated relationship with them
0:01:15 > 0:01:18and we haven't always liked them.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21They're often featured in books, films and TV programmes and
0:01:21 > 0:01:25the most well known story associated with them is that of werewolves.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29People who transform into these wolflike monsters at the full moon.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33Wolfbloods are affected by the moon, but they're not werewolves,
0:01:33 > 0:01:37as they transform into actual wolves and not monsters.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39'Shannon obviously didn't know this.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41'She was just intent on finding the beast.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44'But when a fire started in the lab because an after school
0:01:44 > 0:01:45'science experiment went wrong,
0:01:45 > 0:01:49'she thought she saw something through the smoke and became sure
0:01:49 > 0:01:51'that the beast she was looking of was a werewolf
0:01:51 > 0:01:54'and that she knew who it was.'
0:01:54 > 0:01:56FIRE BELL RINGS
0:02:03 > 0:02:04Tom! Thank goodness.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06Get them out of here, now!
0:02:26 > 0:02:28You saved them.
0:02:32 > 0:02:33Shannon...
0:02:37 > 0:02:38..are you all right?
0:02:40 > 0:02:42I saw...
0:02:42 > 0:02:46- I thought I... - It's over, yeah? It's finished now.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48'When Maddy later caught up with Tom,
0:02:48 > 0:02:50'she found out about Shannon's theory.'
0:02:50 > 0:02:54- Tom, I just want to say... - I know, don't worry about it.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Oh, what's that? It smells disgusting!
0:03:00 > 0:03:05- Something to get us through the day. - So not werewolf potion then?- Sorry?
0:03:05 > 0:03:07Shannon's new theory?
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Get this, apparently you're a werewolf.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12HE HOWLS
0:03:12 > 0:03:13Why would she think that?
0:03:13 > 0:03:17She supposedly saw you turn in the fire.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22So Shannon was obviously wrong about Maddy being a werewolf,
0:03:22 > 0:03:24but it's no surprise that she jumped to the conclusion that her
0:03:24 > 0:03:27beast was some kind of wolf-like creature.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30Throughout history, wolves have been the subject of many a myth
0:03:30 > 0:03:32and a lot have been quite unfavourable.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34We even have negative phrases
0:03:34 > 0:03:37in our everyday language relating to wolves.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39Stuff like, a wolf in sheep's clothing,
0:03:39 > 0:03:42which means when someone appears to be nice but isn't.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44So when did this negativity start?
0:03:47 > 0:03:52'Well, stories where wolves play the bad guy date back thousands of years.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58'In the Bible they are frequently portrayed as villainous and sly.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02'In fairy tales and fables, they are often cunning and greedy.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09'Like the deceitful wolf in little red riding hood
0:04:09 > 0:04:12'and the wolf that tries to trick the three little pigs.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17'Then there are all the horror stories of werewolves.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28'So do these stories have any truth in them?
0:04:28 > 0:04:30'Do we really need to be afraid of wolves?
0:04:37 > 0:04:41'Actually, wolf attacks on people are extremely rare,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44'especially when compared to other meat eating mammals.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48'In fact, wolves are shy creatures who normally avoid people.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54'Some of the negativity surrounding these beautiful animals is
0:04:54 > 0:04:56'probably due to the fact that they're predators,
0:04:56 > 0:04:58'so do have ferocious side
0:04:58 > 0:05:03'and have to be fierce and shrewd to be able to take down their prey.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05'And when people and wolves live in the same place,
0:05:05 > 0:05:09'that prey can end up being precious livestock, leading people to
0:05:09 > 0:05:13'dislike and fear them and associate them with danger and destruction.
0:05:15 > 0:05:20'But not all associations between people and wolves have been negative.
0:05:21 > 0:05:22'In Roman mythology,
0:05:22 > 0:05:26'it's alleged that Rome was founded by twin brothers Romulus and Remus,
0:05:26 > 0:05:30'who are said to have been raised by a wolf when she found them abandoned.
0:05:30 > 0:05:35'So there are images of a wolf suckling two boys all over Rome.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37'And there have also been other stories throughout
0:05:37 > 0:05:39'history of children being raised by wolves,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42'including the famous story of Mowgli in the Jungle book.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48'Native Americans also liked and admired wolves.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51'Because they identified with their wild untamed spirit
0:05:51 > 0:05:54'and respected their endurance and hunting ability.'
0:06:07 > 0:06:09We've always had a complex relationship with wolves,
0:06:09 > 0:06:13so you can see why Maddy and Rhydian didn't want their secret to get out.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16But it very nearly did when a fame-hungry reporter came to
0:06:16 > 0:06:20town on a quest to track down the beast.
0:06:20 > 0:06:21Psst!
0:06:21 > 0:06:23I see movement 10 o'clock.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31- What are you doing? - It's a tranquilizer gun.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34- Perfectly harmless fetches them all the time.- Will it hurt it?
0:06:34 > 0:06:36No, it'll put it out for a few minutes.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39Everyone stay quiet.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43Joe, don't miss this.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45I never miss.
0:06:45 > 0:06:46SUPPRESSED GUNSHOT
0:06:48 > 0:06:51- Did you miss? - No, there's two of them.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53Two beasts?
0:06:53 > 0:06:55SUPPRESSED GUNSHOT
0:06:59 > 0:07:02- Wait, wait, they might no be fully under yet.- I have to see them!
0:07:02 > 0:07:05Let me and Steve get them into the container.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07Safety first, OK?
0:07:07 > 0:07:09OK.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24Are they..?
0:07:24 > 0:07:26They're wolves.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29Tom, they're wolves.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31All this time...
0:07:31 > 0:07:34It was wolves. My beast isn't a beast at all.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37How can there be wolves here? They've been extinct in Britain for years.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Maybe people just think they died out, maybe they've been here
0:07:40 > 0:07:43all the time, surviving without anyone knowing.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45Right, you ready, Kyle?
0:07:45 > 0:07:50Sleeping animals are a lot easier to film than angry snarling ones.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53Turns out the beast wasn't a beast at all.
0:07:53 > 0:07:54Thought to be extinct in this country,
0:07:54 > 0:07:56these two wolves have survived.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59Their existence a secret for years
0:07:59 > 0:08:01until I found them.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03Not a bad nights work, eh?
0:08:04 > 0:08:07There did used to be wild wolves in the UK,
0:08:07 > 0:08:10so Tom and Shannon weren't totally wrong in thinking the wolves
0:08:10 > 0:08:12they'd caught had survived extinction.
0:08:12 > 0:08:13Although that's pretty unlikely,
0:08:13 > 0:08:18as there haven't been wild wolves in Britain for almost 300 years.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27'And Britain isn't the only place where wild wolves used to roam free.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30'Wolves were once so successful,
0:08:30 > 0:08:34'that the used to live in more countries than any other land mammal.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41'They're very adaptable and can live in a huge range of environments,
0:08:41 > 0:08:45'so were found all over the northern half of the world.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48'But over the years, their numbers dropped dramatically
0:08:48 > 0:08:51'and that was because of people.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54'As settlers chopped down forests to make way for fields
0:08:54 > 0:08:59'and livestock and wolves began attacking these domestic animals,
0:08:59 > 0:09:01'people began killing wolves.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09'In Britain, they were hunted to extinction
0:09:09 > 0:09:12'and they were wiped out in large parts of Europe.
0:09:16 > 0:09:17'In north America,
0:09:17 > 0:09:20'more than a million were shot poisoned and trapped
0:09:20 > 0:09:24'and by the middle of the last century their numbers had plummeted.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34'But thankfully,
0:09:34 > 0:09:37'over recent years wolves have been making a comeback.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43'This is partly due to their extraordinary survival skills,
0:09:43 > 0:09:46'but also because of a change in people's attitudes.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52'In the 1970s, wolves were classified as an endangered species
0:09:52 > 0:09:55'and gradually, efforts were made to conserve them.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00'For example, in 1995 they were re-introduced to
0:10:00 > 0:10:02'Yellowstone National Park and since then
0:10:02 > 0:10:05'their numbers have increased in the United States.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09'Attempts are also being made to improve
0:10:09 > 0:10:11'the way that people think about them.
0:10:13 > 0:10:18'They are still vulnerable, but things are definitely looking up.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21'Through education and protection of wilderness areas hopefully
0:10:21 > 0:10:23'we can save the wolf.'
0:10:27 > 0:10:29From stories of big bad wolves
0:10:29 > 0:10:32and plummeting wolf numbers through persecution,
0:10:32 > 0:10:34to changes in attitudes and conservation efforts,
0:10:34 > 0:10:38wolves and people have been on a long and difficult journey together.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42So it's no surprise that we're a little bit cautious of one another.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45'Wolfbloods are weary too and that's probably sensible, because there are
0:10:45 > 0:10:48'people out there who would happily exploit them for their own ends.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51'They want their future to be secure, the safest way forward
0:10:51 > 0:10:55'is to keep their secret a secret form as many people as possible.'
0:10:55 > 0:10:57All it takes is one person to spot us
0:10:57 > 0:11:00and then they'll hunt us down, it's what they do.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02The beast is back, Maddy.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04And I think I know where I can find it.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd