Wolf Pack Natural World

This is the story of the rise to power of the largest wolf pack ever known.

Going from strength to strength, they're now at a turning point in their lives.

The balance of power is shifting within the pack.

The leaders face a take-over challenge

from within their own family.

Winter in Yellowstone is six months of temperatures below freezing.

It can look beautiful,

but the conditions are fierce.

This is a time when most animals struggle simply to survive.

But it is also a time when one animal truly comes into its own.

This is the time of the wolf

and wolves are back in Yellowstone National Park after an absence of nearly 70 years.

American grey wolves are formidable predators.

They hunt in large packs and bring down prey far larger than themselves.

Wolves have been nipping at the heels of elk for hundreds of thousands of years.

In the depths of winter, there will always be the weak, the old, the injured.

Once targeted, the wolf pack closes in.

The pack has its prey, but the wolves won't be allowed to eat in peace.

As the bison stumble across the wolves and their kill, they panic.

Extraordinary scenes like this disappeared entirely from the American West early last century.

Millions of bison were exterminated, and the wolf wasn't far behind.

It was treated as vermin by ranchers and park officials - hunted, poisoned and trapped.

The Yellowstone wolf was gone.

1995 brought a change in fortune.

Wolves were brought from the Canadian wilderness,

to be released back into the park after a 65-year absence.

Park biologists kept the wolves in pens to get them used to the new surroundings,

and they had their hands full from the start.

Even after 10 weeks, the Canadian wolves still had a healthy disrespect for human company.

The plan to fit radio collars to monitor the wolves' progress and location proved...

challenging.

But local officials had more serious worries.

Once released, would the wolves leave the park and start preying on livestock instead of the wildlife?

If they did, the project was doomed.

As the date of the releases approached,

park biologists, like Doug Smith, really had no idea

what would happen once the doors to the pens were opened.

One's out.

That's two. Two are out. Two out.

'Many people were tearful. The emotional burden that was lifted off people's shoulders was tremendous.'

Now, what was going to happen?

Would this take? Would the wolves go back to Canada?

What are they going to do?

In theory, Yellowstone was perfect wolf habitat,

but no-one really knew whether the wolves would thrive,

starve, or simply leave the park.

For biologist Doug Smith, head of Yellowstone's wolf recovery programme,

the releases marked the beginning of an epic, seven-year scientific adventure.

'I've been interested in wolves since I was a small boy.

'I never dreamed that I would be in the position that I am today.

'And for me, this truly is a labour of love.

'I love going to work every day.

'I love trying to figure out what these animals are doing, their stories,

'their interactions with the other animals in Yellowstone.

'It's a wonderful opportunity that challenges me in every way.'

To keep track of the wolves, Doug's team have fitted radio collars to about a third of the animals.

When the batteries run out, the collars must be replaced.

After trying different recapture techniques,

Doug has found darting from a helicopter to be the least traumatic for the wolves.

While the wolf is sedated, Doug gives it a thorough examination,

and checks its health before replacing the collar.

The radio collars have given him an extraordinarily intimate glimpse into the secret lives of wolves.

The wolves he's come to know best are a pack released in the shadow of Druid Peak in 1996.

The Druid pack initially seemed to adjust well to Yellowstone.

But more than a year later, they wandered out of the park,

and the pack-leader was shot.

Command of the seven wolves fell to his mate, the alpha female,

a beautiful wolf, but a violent one.

A coyote scavenging her kill was in serious trouble.

'The first alpha female was wolf number 40.

'She was very aggressive and she ruled with an iron fist.'

Led by this powerful Dark Queen, the Druids developed a reputation

for killing wolves from neighbouring packs, as well as coyotes.

A stranger from a rival pack, a young male known as number 21, entered the Druids' territory.

He risked his life to court the Dark Queen.

His gamble paid off.

Number 21 managed to win her over and became the alpha male of the Druid pack.

The union of the two wolves did not go unnoticed.

The Dark Queen's sister, number 42, was watching.

Known as the Cinderella wolf,

number 42 was in constant trouble with her sister.

She was never quite submissive enough to please her leader.

Vicious put-downs were all too common.

And then,

one night, everything changed.

The Dark Queen was dead,

probably killed by her own sister.

The next day, the once-lowly Cinderella wolf

claimed the den of the Dark Queen for her own pups.

The Druid pack had a new leader.

She took her sister's mate for herself.

And she raised her sister's pups, as well as her own,

and a third litter as well.

They had 21 young mouths to feed.

The Druids took turns babysitting and feeding them all.

All but one of these pups from three litters grew into adults -

a remarkable achievement for the Druid pack,

and a triumphant return of wolves to Yellowstone.

'I didn't think that 20 out of 21 pups were going to survive.

'Yellowstone was the ideal place for wolves to be,

'and they weren't there, and we reintroduced them,

'and conditions were such

'that they could have three litters of pups in one pack,

'and they could have 20 of 21 of those pups survive.'

Eventually, the Druid Peak pack grew to 37 members -

almost certainly the largest wolf pack ever known.

With so many wolves, the Druids became a force to be reckoned with.

They needed more territory and their howling left no doubt

they intended to take it by force.

HOWLING

THEY ALL HOWL

'The first thing that happened when the Druid Peak pack grew'

was they had to get more territory,

they had to take over more land.

Unfortunately, all the land in the northern part of Yellowstone was occupied by other wolves.

So they had to take it aggressively from the nearest pack.

In the no-man's-land between the Druids' territory and their neighbours',

Doug and his team found grim evidence of fierce border skirmishes.

Lots of blood.

'Territorial skirmishes between wolf packs can be ferocious.

'In fact, they can be so bad that wolves can die in these boundary skirmishes

'about who's going to control the different areas of the park.'

This area right here is a major zone of tension between these two packs.

Their territorial boundaries pretty much abut here,

and three wolves have died in three years right along this boundary.

The Druids almost certainly killed this wolf in pursuit of more prey and more territory.

But their grey fur shows that time is catching up with the Druids' alpha pair.

The once-black Cinderella wolf

and her dark partner have entered their twilight years.

'I feel a lot of kinship with 42 and 21 because I'm watching them grey,'

and I'm starting to grey along with them.

'All this stuff pulls you in a lot of different ways, so I'm bonding with the study subjects.'

Now seven years old, 42 and 21, the alpha pair,

have outlived most of their contemporaries,

but they won't be allowed to enjoy their golden years in peace.

Trouble comes in the form of number 113,

a powerful young male, a lone wolf.

The unique thing about 113 is he's so big,

and how we referred to him was "that big male wolf".

In the prime of his life, number 113 has one thing on his mind - a mate.

But Druid turf is a dangerous place to come courting.

Caution takes hold,

and the big male wolf has second thoughts about advancing further.

And it's 21, the old man of the Druids, who chases him off.

But the Druid pack has young daughters,

and the powerful stranger's presence hasn't gone unnoticed.

She's interested, but nervous.

A meeting between wolves from different packs is a tense and dangerous affair.

'These behaviours are quite ritualised.

'The animal stands very stiffly facing the oncoming wolves.

'It almost appears as if a wolf is highly nervous

'and moving in a very kind of mechanical way,

'probably trying not to do anything wrong,

'because the slightest mistake could mean death for that wolf.

'And that wolf knows that.'

Clearly, the young Druid ladies appear more amorous than aggressive.

Not so, their father.

Trespassers are not tolerated by senior Druids.

Big number 113 is seen as trouble.

Humbled and submissive, one daughter comes crawling back to her father.

She may be young, but she's a Druid.

And the pack still howls as one...

HOWLING

..for the moment.

As winter sets in, the Druid pack faces a dilemma.

Hunting has been good, but there are simply too many of them,

and they are constantly hungry.

They've spotted an injured elk calf, who seeks refuge in an icy stream.

This catch seems too easy to be true.

It means getting drenched, and the wolves are not sure it's worth it.

They move on, leaving the elk calf's fate to snow and ice.

Winters in Yellowstone are merciless.

Temperatures can drop to 50 below.

Vast elk herds are gathering here in the Lamar Valley,

and the wolves are right behind them.

Led by the veterans 21 and 42,

it's time for the pack to turn to the business of hunting.

This is prime wolf country, full of elk, a favourite prey,

and they know the local terrain, which gives them an advantage.

'Wolves, one of the most important ways they hunt is by getting a good look at their prey,

'so what the Druid Peak pack likes to do is use Lamar Valley

'and the wide-open space there to get the elk herds moving,

'and in that way, they can examine the elk.

'21, the alpha male of the Druid Peak pack, is oftentimes the leader of the hunt.

'He's the oldest, most experienced, arguably the wisest wolf in the pack,

'and so he understands what elk can be pursued,

'but he might not necessarily be the most aggressive wolf in the hunts.

'He allows some of those younger wolves and their enthusiasm to come forward

'to take care of the initial stages of the hunt and he'll move in towards the end.'

With so many wolves, the Druid pack employs a scattergun tactic -

fanning out to break up the herd.

Each wolf follows its own target,

but keeps an eye out in case a fellow Druid is on the heels of an easier mark.

Like an experienced general, 21 oversees the attack,

leaving the hard work to the younger troops.

All it takes is a single stumble.

The takedown is the most dangerous moment -

a frightened elk can easily deal a fatal blow with its sharp hooves,

but the Druids have experience on their side.

The prey is overwhelmed.

With so many hunters, the carcass will be quickly stripped to the bone.

There will be little left for scavengers.

After a hunt, it's time to restore order in the ranks.

The alpha-female, 42, demands submission from her daughters.

The success of the Druids has had an impact not only on the elk, but on the wolf's cousin -

the coyote.

Continually harassed by wolves, its numbers have fallen by half in the Lamar Valley.

Once the Druids were infamous for killing coyotes,

but no longer.

This young wolf wants a playmate, however reluctant.

The two creatures understand a common body language.

The coyote knows that this is a game, and not game over.

Although the Druid pups are ten months old,

nearly full-grown,

their puppyish curiosity and appetite for play

are still very much alive.

Play lets young wolves establish their status in the pack -

a constantly-shifting power struggle.

But while the pups play, there is trouble stirring.

The pack has reached a critical size.

It can no longer feed everyone.

It's time for the yearlings to strike out on their own,

and the rest of the pack can't emphasise the point strongly enough.

Shunned by his own family,

this outcast will have to make his own way in the wilderness.

If he's lucky, he'll find a young female and start a new pack.

If he's unlucky, he may be killed by a rival pack or starve.

In the late afternoon, one of the Druid daughters is restless,

and with good reason.

113, the lone male, is back again,

and looking for a mate.

In this moment, the first steps in the formation of a new alliance have been taken.

And as day gives way to night,

there is a clear declaration that a new pack is born.

Under cover of darkness, another Druid female

approaches the big male stranger...

..and then an adolescent male.

A new force is gathering, but it's still on Druid territory.

The morning finds old 21, the alpha-male, leading the remaining Druids on border patrol.

This is not a good time for the new pack to be caught out in the open,

and a very bad time to be caught mating.

Mother and Father suspect nothing as yet.

The new gang spots the patrol.

It's definitely time to leave.

At the top of the ridge, a team of Druids seals off an escape route.

The big male stranger takes no chances.

He leads his band of recruits into no-man's-land.

On the way out of the valley, he's joined by several more Druid deserters.

Travelling along the disputed border between rival wolf packs,

the young gang of six heads south,

further into the heart of the park to try their fortunes there.

The loyal Druids reaffirm their ownership of this part of Yellowstone.

To follow the wolves of the interior,

Doug and his team are also headed deep into the backwoods of the park,

far off the beaten path.

Deep in the heart of Yellowstone is where winter hits hardest.

There is no comfort to be found in these parts.

During their study, the scientists have observed that predator and prey

actually communicate with each other during a hunt.

Over countless numbers of years,

elk have developed signals that advertise their strength and fitness to wolves,

and wolves have developed the ability to guess when the elk are cheating.

These elk are signalling that they're strong by energetic and exaggerated trotting.

It's a tactic to say,

"Don't bother chasing me because I can outrun you."

Sometimes the wolves will call their bluff,

and continue to chase the elk.

It won't be long before any weakness will be found out.

Elk and wolf are much more evenly matched than might appear,

and standing its ground when surrounded by a pack of hungry wolves

turns out to be a winning strategy,

if the elk can hold its nerve.

'Wolves can be killed by their prey.

'And we've had six wolves die in Yellowstone because of their prey -

'five by elk, one by a moose -

'so wolves have to be very, very careful at what they kill.'

Stand-offs like these can go on for hours.

If the elk can resist the urge to make a break for it,

the wolves will often give up.

The wolf's strength lies in killing animals that are already running.

A passing group of bison is too tempting to resist.

The Yellowstone winter finally loosens its grip,

and gives way slowly...

to spring.

The winter has culled the weak and the old -

only the fittest have survived.

Today, Doug is out with David Mech and Rolf Peterson,

both veterans of wolf research.

They're looking for a bison carcass that was spotted from the air.

Doug and his team meticulously document every wolf kill they find

and conduct a death-scene forensic investigation.

OK.

There's an extra tooth right there.

Oh, yeah, right there.

An impacted and infected tooth may have caused this animal's downfall.

Wolves may be able to sniff out decay in a rotting tooth.

Oh, and that stuff smells, actually.

If wolves can detect abnormalities by smell,

they could sure smell that.

The researchers suspect more than just a toothache as the cause of the bison's death.

By sawing apart one of its bones, they can examine the condition of the marrow.

-Look at that!

-Wow!

There's no fat in there whatever.

I mean, it's water, it's water.

No fat in the marrow means the animal was starving.

It would've been dead even if the wolves hadn't killed it.

-It couldn't go anywhere.

-The wolves did it a favour.

The spring thaw has thinned the ice.

The bison will find escape impossible.

Ravens are the first to discover a carcass.

Coyotes aren't far behind.

He's earned the right to have the first go at the soggy carcass...

..not that it's going to be that easy.

This is not one of his better days.

Springtime in Yellowstone is fickle.

In the Lamar Valley, the blink of an eye and winter is back again.

A mother grizzly and her cub have emerged from their winter den

only to be greeted by driving snow...

..and something more sinister -

Druids.

There is no love lost between Yellowstone's top predators.

Wolves and grizzlies have been known to kill each other's young.

You'd think an aggressively protective mother bear would be best left alone.

She could break a wolf's back with a single swipe of her paw.

But she can't risk straying more than a few yards from her cub.

Finally, the Druids lose interest in bear-baiting

and the mother and cub can go their own way.

After several false starts, spring has taken winter's place.

With the cloak of winter lifted, the Lamar Valley is barely recognisable.

There are newcomers here, just getting to know the place.

The Druids have made it through the winter in fine form -

old 21 and 42 still at the helm.

At this time of year, the pack splits up -

the wolves won't need to hunt as a large team,

now their prey is elk calves.

And it's not just wolves -

every predator is drawn to them.

'There may be competition between wolves and grizzly bears for elk calves.

'But it's interesting, because one day

'in Lamar Valley this spring,

'our team observed two elk calves killed by wolves,

'two killed by grizzly bears'

and two killed by coyotes.

Black bears, cougars, eagles also take elk calves.

'So one of the next studies that we're trying to initiate

'is understanding predation on elk calves.'

The calves are nimble and quick, even at this young age.

A grizzly is surprisingly fleet for its size.

It can reach a top speed of 30 miles an hour.

Grizzlies have young to feed too.

The reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone, though, hasn't been welcomed by everyone.

Local sports-hunters, for one, don't like competing with the wolves.

But despite the return of a top predator to the park,

the scientists report elk numbers seem to be holding steady.

But the controversy has spread beyond the park.

Nearly half of the wolves now live outside Yellowstone, where they are not welcome.

Ranchers feared loss of their cattle,

but after seven years, the true losses have been far lower

than many ranchers had predicted.

The days are growing longer, and the Druids are away patrolling the furthest reaches of their territory.

Doug and his team use this opportunity to study the Druids' vacated winter home.

'Den sites are treasures.

'You get a view into the wolf's world, you know,

'it's just like going to your house after you've moved out.'

OK. Oh, yeah, it goes back aways.

-Can you see the main chamber at the end?

-I can.

They've found that females make dens in caves, dig under tree-roots,

and even take over beaver dams.

It's a narrow entryway with a big chamber at the end.

It might go at least 16 feet -

an entrance that probably a grizzly bear couldn't get down,

but a chamber that was pretty roomy and comfortable.

The Druids themselves are now long gone, spending the summer at a rendezvous site.

Their two-month-old pups stay here, making the most of the lush period of sunshine,

while most of the pack hunts.

There are plenty of new sights and smells to investigate,

and an attentive babysitter nearby to make sure things don't get out of hand.

For the next few summer months,

the rendezvous site will be the focal point of their young lives.

Though adults often go their separate ways to hunt,

they return to the rendezvous site to feed the pups,

and keep in contact with the rest of the pack.

A new litter of wolf pups is welcome,

but Doug knows the time will soon come when there will be some sad losses from the Druid pack.

'42 has been there since the beginning

'and 21 came on the scene early.

'They are the thread through that whole story,

'and that thread is getting short, and it could end soon.

'It will be a sad day for me,

'and it will be a sad day for the story of Yellowstone wolves.'

The sadness of those inevitable losses

should be balanced by the scale of the achievement.

'I think the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone

'is one of the scientific opportunities of the century.

'To be a part of this from the beginning

'and document how this system will change because of the reintroduction

'of a top carnivore that belongs here

'is a huge scientific opportunity that needs to be done.'

And now a new chapter has opened in Yellowstone's history.

Doug has been anxious to find out what happened to the big young wolf

that ran off with the Druid's adolescent daughters.

Although number 113 has been collared,

his radio transmitter only works occasionally

so he's been hard to track.

One day, at the edge of the Druids' territory,

Doug spots a group of pups he hasn't seen before.

And watching over them is 113,

no longer a renegade wolf,

but a busy father with his young family.

With the arrival of the pups,

this group is now officially a pack in its own right,

and 113 is their alpha male.

A chapter is ending for the aging leaders of the Druids,

but it's just beginning for this pack,

too new to even have a name.

Future skirmishes over Yellowstone territory are inevitable.

As these young wolves face the future,

this is their battle cry.

HOWLING

Subtitles by Sarah Aitken BBC Broadcast 2004

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