Episode 1 Snow Wolf Family and Me


Episode 1

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The wolf. A highly intelligent predator.

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With a bad reputation.

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To many, they are cunning and ruthless killers.

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But I want to find out if there's another side

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to this feared carnivore.

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I've always had a fascination with wolves ever since I was a kid.

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They symbolise the wild like no other animal.

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My name is Gordon Buchanan.

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I'm a wildlife cameraman.

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I'm travelling to the Arctic to get closer to wild wolves

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than anyone has ever been before.

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I want to actually understand the true nature of the wolf,

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separate fact from fiction.

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I'll be dropped deep into wolf territory.

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These are animals that have killed people

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and I've got two of them just five metres away.

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I'm putting my life on the line...

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Is this too close? Is this too close?

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Jesus wept...! Oh, my God.

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..to get an unprecedented view of wolf family life.

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Come on, pups, out you come.

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I'll meet the characters in a pack.

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Scruffy!

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You little swine!

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And discover if the big, bad wolf is as dangerous as we imagine.

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Don't even think about it.

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To get inside a wolf pack I'm travelling to a wilderness

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so remote that the wolves here have never seen people.

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It's taken me four days to reach Ellesmere Island

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in the Canadian Arctic.

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Near the North Pole,

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it's home to the most isolated wolves in the world.

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I'm here to try to follow a family of wolves

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during the most important three months of their lives.

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From spring, when they have pups...

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..until the return of the brutal Arctic winter.

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Two years ago a biologist flew over and spotted a pack in this area.

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I've come to see if they're still here.

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Oh, look! Look, look!

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Wow! One, two, three, four, five, six.

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Wow! Look at that!

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How incredible!

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Great. Just staring up at me.

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Yes!

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Brilliant.

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This is the first of two trips I'll be making to the Arctic.

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I've brought supplies to keep me going for three weeks.

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Well, now that I've found the wolves,

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I'm...I'm going to stay here

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and I'm going to set up camp right over here.

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The Arctic wolves here have never seen people.

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I have no idea how they'll react.

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They might think I'm their next meal.

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Oh, my goodness me, that is sensational.

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I do not believe it.

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He's stopping.

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This is the closest I've ever been to a wild wolf.

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I feel incredibly vulnerable.

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Wolves take down animals five times my size.

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It is an unbelievable start to this.

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My heart is still racing when the wolf leaves.

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It's amazing to see wolves that close,

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but mixed with that is a little bit of apprehension.

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But the truth is, I'm not alone here.

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I have a director and a soundman.

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If I was alone, I think it would be a very different experience.

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Wolves are at their most dangerous when they lose their fear of people

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and it seems that these wolves don't have any fear to begin with.

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The wolves here are the top predator.

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They live in one of the most extreme places on earth.

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In winter, temperatures plummet to minus 50 degrees.

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The sun sets in October and doesn't rise again for four months.

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The climate is so harsh

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that no people live on this part of the island.

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These wolves have never been hunted.

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That makes them bold but it could also make them very dangerous.

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The fact is wolves have attacked, killed

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and injured people in the past.

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In 2000, here in Canada, there was someone camping in the wild

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and they were pulled from their tent in their sleeping bag

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and set upon by wolves.

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He was only really saved by the fact that he was with people.

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Had he been alone,

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he would have almost certainly been killed by those wolves.

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That's why I'm putting up an electric fence.

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I'm camping alone

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to increase my chances of getting close to the pack.

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The camera crew is based half a mile away,

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so won't be much help if I run into trouble.

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So, in theory, it's working now.

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I hate to do it, but I think I'm going to test it just...

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just to make sure.

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Am I? Oh, God, I don't want to do that.

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It must be working.

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Oh, bugger it.

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Ay-yayaya! It's working!

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That's... Oh!

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Yeah, that's working as well.

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The pack are watching me from the other side of the valley.

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But I don't know how long they'll be here.

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Wolves stay in one place when they have a den with pups.

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I'm hoping that's what this pack is doing.

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My tent's in a perfect position for a stakeout.

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Hey...

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This is, er...

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..my house, my home.

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This is where I'll be sleeping.

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Erm...and I have the most unbelievable view.

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Literally, the first thing I'll see when I open my tent in the morning

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is erm...the hillside where the wolves are.

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But what a place.

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What a... What a campsite.

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It really is brilliant.

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While they're here, I can observe them 24 hours a day.

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At this time of year, the sun never sets.

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It's spring.

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A time when this barren land is bursting with new life.

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Young arctic hare and baby foxes are everywhere.

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But there's also a creature from the ice age

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that I hope doesn't come too close.

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Muskox are one of the Arctic's most powerful animals.

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They look like something from Star Wars.

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And they're notoriously bad-tempered.

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It's unsettling camping here

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and the constant daylight makes it difficult to rest.

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It's hard to sleep when the sun is shining.

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Everything's telling you that you shouldn't be in bed

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but it's 2.15 in the morning.

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So the best thing to do is try and make things as dark as possible.

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These help.

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Today, I want to find out if the pack have a den.

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My plan is to track their movements for as long as I can stay awake.

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But the wolves have other ideas.

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Oh, my word...

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The wolf that approached me yesterday is back.

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And this time, it's not alone.

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Both of the wolves are about 40 metres away from me.

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My heart is racing.

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Wolves might approach for two reasons,

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to see if I'm a threat

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or to find out if I'm worth eating.

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Oh, jeez! They are right in front of me.

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My God...!

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Oh, my God.

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Hey, wolf....

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I'm just going to turn this round.

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I tell you what, this is quite unnerving.

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I'm being circled by wolves

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and I'm not sure if I like it.

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Being this close to a wolf,

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I'm just reminded that...

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..these are animals that have injured people.

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These are animals that have killed people

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and I've got two of them...

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..five metres away.

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She's coming right up to my little fence.

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Oh, my word...!

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Look at those eyes!

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All the better to see you with.

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She is just stunning.

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I definitely feel safer when they back off a bit.

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My goodness.

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I don't think I've seen such a beautiful animal in my life.

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I never imagined that wolves would get this close.

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It's a perfect chance to try and work out who's who.

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It really is amazing.

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There's so few places in the world

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that you can get this close to an animal of this size.

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And the closer these wolves come, you start to see differences.

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It looks like these are two females.

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They're both full-size.

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This wolf is much more mature-looking.

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You can see it in her face.

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She's older, definitely.

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Marginally bigger.

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A lot more hair around her face,

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like a lion's mane almost.

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But look at this. This is...

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This could be major news.

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On her belly, towards the back end,

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it's bare.

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You can almost see the nipples.

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And what that means and what that tells me

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is that this is a breeding female

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and the great hope is that, before too long,

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I'm going to get a look at these pups.

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This is a huge relief.

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Pups mean that this pack will stay in one place.

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Now I need to find their den.

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This new mum is pale, like the moon,

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so I've named her Luna.

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This is the only time of year wolves can raise young.

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But they don't have long.

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Here in the High Arctic, spring and summer only last three months.

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It's a brief respite from freezing temperatures.

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But conditions remain tough

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and some years wolves don't breed at all.

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I'm hoping this pack has a den with pups on the opposite hillside.

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I spend hours trying to find it.

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Eventually, my perseverance pays off.

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Look...

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That has to be a den!

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This den is an amazing find

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because it is the only way to keep track of these wolves,

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to get them at a time of year that they can't move around freely,

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and that's when they're denning, that's when they've got pups.

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And I can't help but imagine what's going on underground.

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You know, there has to be pups in there.

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The question is, how many?

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If I'm going to work my way inside a wolf family,

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then gaining the trust of Luna will be key.

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Camping next to a wild wolf pack is incredible.

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HOWLING

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But I do wish they weren't such noisy neighbours.

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HOWLING CONTINUES

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GORDON YAWNS

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Goodness me!

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Lord...

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It makes it very difficult to sleep sometimes.

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GORDON YAWNS, THE WOLVES HOWL

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Oh, it's very wearing.

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But I can't complain because...

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..I get to wake up to...

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..wolves howling.

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This is the best way to wake up.

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Ever.

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HOWLING CONTINUES

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Wolves communicate by howling.

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Every pack member has a distinct voice.

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HOWLING

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HOWLS

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This morning, the biggest wolf I've seen so far

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is rallying the pack to go hunting.

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HOWLS

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This big male must be the head of the family.

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I'm going to call him Romulus.

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HOWLS

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Wolf packs are like human families.

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Romulus and Luna are mum and dad.

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All the other wolves are probably their offspring

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from different years.

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Hang on, let me just count them...

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We've got one, two at the front.

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Three, four,

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five, six.

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All six of them galloping and trotting along the skyline there.

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And my guess is

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the two at the back

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are possibly last year's pups, they're yearlings.

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A little bit smaller.

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And they're a lot more playful.

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Arctic wolves hunt for food in a territory

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which can cover over 1,000 square miles.

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In spring, there are lots of young animals.

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But here, there's no such thing as an easy meal,

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even if you are a big, bad wolf.

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And if the wolves go anywhere near a skua's nest,

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they're dive-bombed until they move on.

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The pack can spend days hunting,

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but Luna usually returns within an hour to watch over the den.

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This is a great opportunity to see if I can start to win her trust,

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so I move in closer.

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GORDON WHINES

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WHINING

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WHINING

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By making whining noises and avoiding eye contact,

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I act submissively, to try and put her at ease.

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WHINES

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WHINES

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WHINES

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WHINES

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She seems nervous.

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So I make myself smaller and less threatening.

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WHINES

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WHINES

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WHINES

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I try something a little different to draw her in.

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It's clear that me getting close to the wolves

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is completely on their terms.

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I just tried to get closer to Luna there

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and she moved away,

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kept a distance of about 60 metres.

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Didn't let me close that distance.

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So, it's not that she's fearful,

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it's just that she's the boss.

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She dictates what happens and when.

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I think the best thing I can do now is leave Luna alone for a few days.

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That way, she can get used to me being around.

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It's been a week

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and I'm starting to get a sense of the pack's routine.

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Romulus leads the family out on hunts twice a day.

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Sometimes, they don't have to go that far.

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Arctic hares are approaching the den.

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Their young live in groups of up to 200,

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making them irresistible to hungry wolves.

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The youngest wolves of the pack are faster and more agile

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than the older wolves.

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But arctic hares are built for speed.

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Accelerating up to 40 miles per hour.

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The hares often outpace the wolves.

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The two yearlings are the pack's troublesome teens

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and now they're taking an interest in me.

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I do wonder what they think when they see me standing here.

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Because they certainly don't see me as a threat.

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And I wonder, I really do...

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..if they don't see me as a threat...

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..whether they see me as a potential source of food.

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I shouldn't be surprised

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that one of the most intelligent animals on the planet...

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..has found a way of dismantling my fence,

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without getting shocked.

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If they get into my food supplies, I'll be in big trouble.

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Apart from the yearlings, no other wolf will come near.

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To get to know the shyer members of the pack, I put out remote cameras.

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But the youngest wolves strike again.

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OK, here comes a wolf.

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It's one of the yearlings.

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Straight up to the camera trap.

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Everything that wolves find, they test with their teeth.

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They don't use their paws to feel things out.

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The most sensitive part of their body

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are their lips, their mouths, their nose.

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Every camera I put out becomes a new chew toy

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for the pack's two teenagers.

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Yearlings appear a little bit darker than every other wolf.

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These wolves don't start off white, they're born brown or grey.

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And as they grow older, they become whiter and whiter.

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At least I can now identify one yearling from the other.

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This one I'm calling Scruffy.

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He's bigger and darker.

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You can see how big he is.

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You'd never think that he was just a year old.

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Scruffy seems to be enjoying the use of my cameras.

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The next morning,

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it's looks like Scruffy has developed a taste for my kit.

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Keep away from my stuff, Scruffy.

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Scruffy...!

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He decides he likes my camping stool.

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You little swine!

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Scruffy...

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Scruffy...

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Absolutely no respect whatsoever for people's private property.

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This is bad news.

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If Scruffy thinks my stuff is up for grabs,

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he could destroy my camp.

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GORDON CHUFFS

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CHUFFS

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I try my best howl to get him to drop it.

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HOWLS

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HOWLS

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I sit down in the hope I can draw him away from the stool.

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HOWLS

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HOWLS

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HOWLS

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HOWLS

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He's coming straight towards me.

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Yeah, being fixed in that stare is not the most comfortable of things.

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Heavens above...!

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Is this too close?

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Is this too close?

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Jesus wept... Oh, my God!

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That is unnerving.

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Hey, Scruff.

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You go from...

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..being comfortable to being decidedly uncomfortable.

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You are enormous. You might only be one year old...

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..but you're a big old wolf.

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Hey, fella, did you like my howling?

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Gee whiz, you are beautiful.

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GORDON HOWLS

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You like that, don't you?

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You can tell he's nervous.

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But I don't know if he's as nervous as I am.

0:27:170:27:20

I suppose that's what I came here for, to get close to these animals,

0:27:220:27:25

but being this close...

0:27:250:27:27

..worries me.

0:27:290:27:30

Because, as much as I think I understand these animals...

0:27:320:27:37

..you can't always read them.

0:27:380:27:41

I don't always know what's on their mind.

0:27:410:27:43

Eventually, Scruffy gets bored of me

0:27:450:27:48

and the stool.

0:27:480:27:49

Not bad.

0:27:500:27:51

Not too bad at all.

0:27:530:27:54

Oh...

0:27:560:27:57

Still works.

0:27:580:27:59

Thanks, Scruffy.

0:28:010:28:02

I'm gradually overcoming my fear of these wolves.

0:28:040:28:07

Now I've survived this encounter with Scruffy,

0:28:100:28:13

I want to see if I can get closer to Luna.

0:28:130:28:16

It's been a couple of days since I last tried to get near Luna

0:28:280:28:32

and I think it's time to give it another go.

0:28:320:28:34

I came here to see another side to wolves.

0:28:370:28:39

That means seeing them raise pups

0:28:390:28:42

and it all rests on Luna trusting me.

0:28:420:28:45

Luna is at the den.

0:28:510:28:53

Just glancing round at me.

0:28:540:28:56

You know, I'm not worried about those looks.

0:28:580:29:01

She's just checking that I'm still here.

0:29:020:29:05

Glances around again.

0:29:060:29:07

She's obviously aware of me.

0:29:070:29:09

Oh, look!

0:29:160:29:17

I can see a pup! I can see a pup!

0:29:170:29:19

It is!

0:29:250:29:26

A tiny little head popping up.

0:29:260:29:28

Wow...!

0:29:360:29:37

I...

0:29:380:29:39

I don't know, I was expecting them to be white,

0:29:390:29:42

but there's a little brown head.

0:29:420:29:43

The briefest glimpse of a wolf pup.

0:29:460:29:49

Oh, magic!

0:29:530:29:54

That's amazing. It really is.

0:29:560:29:58

I am so delighted.

0:29:590:30:01

Wolves can have up to ten pups in a litter.

0:30:040:30:06

I'm desperate to find out if there are more

0:30:070:30:10

hidden in the den.

0:30:100:30:11

But before I can move closer, the whole pack returns from a hunt.

0:30:110:30:15

It's way too soon for me to approach with all of them around.

0:30:180:30:22

So, I'm going to try the next best thing.

0:30:220:30:25

BEEPING

0:30:280:30:29

We have power.

0:30:290:30:30

This has never been used before with wolves.

0:30:300:30:33

In fact this has never been used before with any animal.

0:30:340:30:37

It's very much a prototype.

0:30:370:30:39

But it's a rock crawler that can handle this rugged terrain

0:30:390:30:43

and it's fitted with two little HD cameras

0:30:430:30:46

that I'm hoping to drive up the slope

0:30:460:30:48

and get a good look at the den.

0:30:480:30:50

Two potential problems,

0:30:500:30:51

the terrain is really difficult

0:30:510:30:53

but the real danger is that

0:30:530:30:55

the wolves don't take too kindly to this and rip it to pieces.

0:30:550:30:59

It's designed to handle the terrain but not a pack of six wolves.

0:31:000:31:04

We'll see...

0:31:050:31:06

OK, I see a wolf.

0:31:160:31:18

I'm a bit concerned

0:31:220:31:25

about the interest the wolves are showing.

0:31:250:31:27

OK, there's a bit of difficult manoeuvring.

0:31:450:31:47

Let me see if I can nudge it forward...

0:31:470:31:49

Oh, dear...

0:31:510:31:52

It's all part of a learning process.

0:31:580:32:00

And I've learnt that there's part of the den up there on the right.

0:32:000:32:03

It's the bit with the buggy sticking out of it.

0:32:040:32:07

I might still get a view inside the den.

0:32:100:32:13

I've found a hole.

0:32:150:32:16

After a lot of manoeuvring, I get the picture I was hoping for.

0:32:170:32:22

Oh, I can see a pup! I can see a pup!

0:32:250:32:27

Amazingly, looking straight into the camera.

0:32:290:32:32

Theses wolves are incredible.

0:32:330:32:35

They have never seen this kind of thing before

0:32:360:32:38

and they don't scurry back into the den.

0:32:380:32:40

Oh, my word...!

0:32:440:32:45

That is just glorious!

0:32:450:32:48

Oh, you beauty! Two pups!

0:32:500:32:52

Oh, wow!

0:32:520:32:54

They are just adorable!

0:32:540:32:55

These pups were born deaf and blind.

0:32:580:33:01

But now their senses are developing

0:33:010:33:04

and they're starting to explore the world around them.

0:33:040:33:06

I might get the pups to come and investigate it.

0:33:100:33:12

They're looking at it.

0:33:120:33:14

They're about four weeks old

0:33:160:33:19

and their first teeth are coming through.

0:33:190:33:21

These wolves are unbelievable. They really are.

0:33:320:33:34

Three pups!

0:33:380:33:39

Gee whiz!

0:33:400:33:42

I do not believe it!

0:33:420:33:44

Wow!

0:33:500:33:51

I feel as if I'm right in there.

0:33:510:33:53

That I am actually a member of the pack.

0:33:540:33:57

It's great! I'm loving this.

0:33:590:34:01

If I can follow these pups as they grow up,

0:34:100:34:13

I'll get a unique insight into wolf family life.

0:34:130:34:17

I think all the wolves are beginning to trust me more.

0:34:350:34:38

The pups are spending more and more time above ground.

0:34:540:34:57

And they're feeding regularly.

0:35:010:35:03

By my count, Luna is suckling them over five times a day.

0:35:060:35:10

No-one has ever been this close to a wild wolf pack before

0:35:130:35:18

and there are signs

0:35:180:35:19

that they're starting to see me as one of the family.

0:35:190:35:23

I think a wolf has peed on my binoculars!

0:35:230:35:26

I left them here

0:35:290:35:31

and I saw a wolf come down,

0:35:310:35:32

but I was up that way and...

0:35:320:35:34

-SNIFFS

-Yep.

0:35:350:35:36

That's... That's wolf urine.

0:35:360:35:39

SNIFFS

0:35:390:35:40

It's very pungent.

0:35:400:35:42

SNIFFS

0:35:420:35:44

They wouldn't get up that high.

0:35:440:35:45

It's all smelling a little bit wolfy round about here!

0:35:480:35:51

That's a good thing.

0:35:520:35:53

Scent marking, that's erm...that's a territorial thing.

0:35:530:35:57

So, maybe they're not marking their territory,

0:35:570:35:59

but they're accepting me as part of their group,

0:35:590:36:01

that I now belong to them.

0:36:010:36:03

I've tried to film wolves many times before

0:36:110:36:15

but I've never got this close.

0:36:150:36:17

In other parts of the world, it wouldn't be possible.

0:36:200:36:22

Wolves often live in dense forests where you just can't see them.

0:36:240:36:28

But here, I'm in an unprecedented position

0:36:310:36:34

to watch everything they do.

0:36:340:36:36

And I'm already surprised by what I'm learning.

0:36:380:36:41

This pack works hard for one reason,

0:36:450:36:48

to support Luna

0:36:480:36:50

and the pups.

0:36:500:36:51

She can't leave the den for long,

0:36:530:36:55

so they bring food to her.

0:36:550:36:57

EXCITED WHINING

0:37:000:37:02

Only Luna can feed the pups,

0:37:030:37:05

so it's crucial she is kept well-fed.

0:37:050:37:08

Poor Luna's looking a little bit

0:37:100:37:12

threadbare at the moment.

0:37:120:37:15

Having pups takes its toll.

0:37:180:37:21

You can't look your best when you've got little ones to be looked after.

0:37:230:37:28

Even though Luna's hungry,

0:37:310:37:32

the pups come first.

0:37:320:37:34

She's now weaning them onto solid food.

0:37:350:37:37

Amazingly, I see her make them work for their dinner.

0:37:400:37:43

This is the first important step in teaching them how to hunt.

0:37:450:37:49

But it's not just Luna that raises the pups.

0:37:520:37:55

The whole pack is working together

0:38:020:38:05

to make sure that these pups survive.

0:38:050:38:08

There is some kind of sense of moral responsibility within these animals.

0:38:110:38:16

There has to be.

0:38:170:38:18

You can't give up food that you have caught

0:38:210:38:24

and give it to another wolf

0:38:240:38:26

without there being a moral justification.

0:38:260:38:29

It won't be morality like us, but...

0:38:310:38:32

..it'll be a kind of wolfish morality.

0:38:340:38:36

Work for the good of the pack.

0:38:400:38:42

Strength is in the pack.

0:38:420:38:44

If you look after the pack,

0:38:450:38:47

the pack will look after you.

0:38:470:38:49

Those are the wolf rules.

0:38:510:38:53

I thought there'd be more fighting in a wolf pack.

0:38:550:38:57

But they feel more like a loving family.

0:38:580:39:01

As if to prove their devotion to each other,

0:39:020:39:05

they howl together several times a day.

0:39:050:39:07

And the pups are learning to join in.

0:39:080:39:10

LOUD HOWLING

0:39:100:39:13

A DISTANT HOWL

0:39:350:39:38

In this open landscape,

0:39:380:39:39

howls can be heard over ten miles away.

0:39:390:39:42

It's how the family keep in touch.

0:39:430:39:45

In another month, the pups will leave the den

0:39:480:39:51

and travel with the adults.

0:39:510:39:52

HOWLING

0:39:520:39:54

If they get split up,

0:39:540:39:57

howling is one of the only ways

0:39:570:39:58

they'll be able to get back together.

0:39:580:40:00

HOWLING

0:40:030:40:06

It's the end of my second week here

0:40:110:40:14

and the pack's routine is changing.

0:40:140:40:16

They need to prepare the pups for the impending Arctic winter

0:40:200:40:24

and that means one thing...

0:40:240:40:25

Food.

0:40:260:40:27

Romulus is leading the other four adults on hunts more frequently.

0:40:290:40:33

There's a real pressure on the wolves to keep these pups eating.

0:40:370:40:40

For them to survive the winter,

0:40:430:40:45

they need to put on as much weight as possible.

0:40:450:40:48

I'm spending a lot of time near the den

0:40:580:41:01

and I'm starting to figure out

0:41:010:41:03

how to make them more comfortable around me.

0:41:030:41:06

Ignoring her is the best bet.

0:41:210:41:23

It just seems to be that when you act naturally,

0:41:240:41:28

like drinking water out of a stream like a wolf,

0:41:280:41:31

they come much closer.

0:41:310:41:33

Part of the learning process is that staring at them,

0:41:340:41:39

constantly looking at them,

0:41:390:41:40

doesn't seem to work.

0:41:400:41:42

Ignoring them does.

0:41:440:41:46

Today, the rest of the pack has been out hunting for six hours

0:41:490:41:53

and there's no sign of their return.

0:41:530:41:55

The pups are getting really hungry.

0:41:580:42:01

So, she has to resort to emergency supplies.

0:42:020:42:05

What wolves will do is, once they've made a kill,

0:42:070:42:10

if it's something that's big and they can't eat it all in one go,

0:42:100:42:14

they'll leave these little food parcels all round their territory.

0:42:140:42:18

And that's something they can return to and they can feed on

0:42:200:42:24

when they haven't had any luck catching something.

0:42:240:42:27

But I can imagine,

0:42:280:42:30

if you're leaving hundreds and hundreds of little food parcels

0:42:300:42:33

all around your territory,

0:42:330:42:34

an area that is vast,

0:42:340:42:36

you can't possibly remember where every single one of them is.

0:42:360:42:40

So it's a bit like, erm...hunting through your house

0:42:410:42:44

looking for your car keys.

0:42:440:42:45

You know they're there somewhere

0:42:450:42:47

but it might take a little while to locate them.

0:42:470:42:49

The food caches around the den have been eaten.

0:42:510:42:54

But there will be food buried further afield.

0:42:550:42:58

It's a chance for me to approach the pups.

0:43:010:43:03

An opportunity to see wolf development like never before.

0:43:040:43:08

I cannot believe that I am this close to wolf pups at a den.

0:43:300:43:35

It is beyond my wildest dreams.

0:43:370:43:40

At this distance,

0:43:440:43:46

you can really get a good view of these pups.

0:43:460:43:49

It seems that the smallest pup is the most dominant one.

0:44:000:44:04

There's not much in it sizewise,

0:44:060:44:08

but just being this close,

0:44:080:44:10

you can tell that one is marginally smaller,

0:44:100:44:13

but considerably more dominant.

0:44:130:44:16

It's the dominant pup that seems to be the most adventurous one.

0:44:190:44:23

They're kind of ranked in order.

0:44:250:44:27

There's super-adventurous.

0:44:270:44:29

Adventurous.

0:44:300:44:32

And stay-at-home.

0:44:320:44:33

It always seems to be the same third one that stays back.

0:44:340:44:38

And it's kind of encouraged by the others to head further out.

0:44:390:44:43

The pups all look healthy now

0:44:490:44:52

but when food gets scarce

0:44:520:44:54

it's the dominant pup that is most likely to survive.

0:44:540:44:57

Soon, the pups will leave the warmth and safety of the den.

0:45:030:45:06

Life is going to get a lot harder.

0:45:070:45:09

At least, while I'm here, I'll help keep an eye on them.

0:45:100:45:13

This is the best baby-sitting job I've ever had.

0:45:170:45:20

It is amazing, really, to be trusted and accepted by a wild animal.

0:45:220:45:27

Wolves are super-cool.

0:45:280:45:31

I've been really amazed by them.

0:45:330:45:36

Amazed by how they live

0:45:370:45:40

and also amazed by how they've let me get so close to them.

0:45:400:45:44

It's amazing, really, to be able to form some kind of

0:45:470:45:51

cross-species relationship with wolves,

0:45:510:45:54

to the point that they'll let you

0:45:540:45:57

look after their young

0:45:570:45:59

while they go off hunting.

0:45:590:46:01

If that's not being welcomed into the pack,

0:46:030:46:05

I don't know what is.

0:46:050:46:07

After an hour, Luna returns with food.

0:46:150:46:18

She's only been able to find an old muskox leg.

0:46:210:46:24

And there's barely enough meat on the bone for each pup.

0:46:280:46:31

It's a worrying sign.

0:46:340:46:35

My wolf family have a problem.

0:46:390:46:41

The Arctic summer doesn't last long.

0:46:480:46:50

It's a time when all animals race to feed their offspring,

0:46:520:46:56

preparing them for the approaching winter.

0:46:560:46:58

This should be the easiest time of year to find food.

0:47:060:47:10

But my wolves are struggling

0:47:110:47:13

to bring back anything substantial for the pups.

0:47:130:47:15

In six weeks, they will face freezing temperatures.

0:47:180:47:21

On their current diet, the pups have little chance of surviving.

0:47:230:47:27

What they desperately need is a big meal.

0:47:300:47:33

I've only got four days left.

0:47:390:47:41

I want to leave knowing that the pups are getting enough to eat.

0:47:420:47:46

To do that, the pack will need to bring down a muskox.

0:47:470:47:51

Herds of muskox move through wolf territories in search of grazing.

0:47:570:48:01

They are the most dangerous creature a wolf can hunt.

0:48:020:48:06

Look at this...

0:48:070:48:08

It's the remains of a muskox.

0:48:090:48:10

And a pretty big one.

0:48:120:48:14

Look at this...

0:48:140:48:15

My goodness!

0:48:160:48:18

It's like something from the distant past.

0:48:180:48:22

And I suppose it is.

0:48:220:48:24

Muskox are one of the few animals to have survived the last ice age

0:48:240:48:28

and, really, this animal evolved alongside wolves,

0:48:280:48:31

but they evolved alongside animals

0:48:310:48:33

that are long-extinct - sabre-toothed cats.

0:48:330:48:35

So, they are equipped to deal with predators

0:48:350:48:38

that are much bigger than the wolf.

0:48:380:48:40

Looking at this in detail,

0:48:400:48:41

you realise what these wolves are up against.

0:48:410:48:44

If muskox are under attack, they can ram into a wolf.

0:48:450:48:49

They're powerful enough to break the spine of a wolf,

0:48:500:48:53

if they get a direct hit.

0:48:530:48:54

But, also, what they'll do is gore,

0:48:540:48:56

like any animal with horns is designed to do,

0:48:560:48:59

and that would go right through a wolf.

0:48:590:49:03

For wolves to get a significant meal,

0:49:040:49:06

they have to take on one of these huge animals.

0:49:060:49:10

Can you imagine facing off an animal like this,

0:49:100:49:12

that weighs over 400 kilos?

0:49:120:49:15

It stands nearly five foot at the shoulder.

0:49:150:49:17

And these, in comparison, tiny wolves square up to them.

0:49:180:49:23

Rather them than me.

0:49:250:49:27

Two days later, I can't believe the pack's luck.

0:49:320:49:35

A muskox herd has moved into our valley.

0:49:360:49:39

This could be the opportunity the family needs.

0:49:400:49:43

They are huge.

0:49:440:49:46

Now that is one animal I'm scared of.

0:49:490:49:51

And they've got a bad attitude

0:49:510:49:52

towards anything that looks like a predator.

0:49:520:49:55

Right, I'm not too happy about this

0:49:590:50:01

because the muskox are coming straight towards me.

0:50:010:50:04

I'm in a very dangerous position,

0:50:080:50:11

trapped between the wolves and their prey.

0:50:110:50:13

Now, this could get interesting.

0:50:240:50:26

How's this going to play out?

0:50:280:50:29

It looks like they're going to cross right over towards the wolves.

0:50:380:50:41

It's crazy.

0:50:420:50:44

Muskox are aggressive

0:50:480:50:50

and pose a danger to the pups.

0:50:500:50:52

The wolves are up on their feet.

0:50:540:50:56

They're heading right up towards the wolves.

0:50:580:51:00

Holy mackerel...

0:51:000:51:01

Now these wolves are going to have to spring into action.

0:51:020:51:05

My God...

0:51:060:51:07

They're really relaxed. God, these wolves are super-cool!

0:51:120:51:15

My wolves are hungry, but this is a big herd.

0:51:180:51:21

The pack are outnumbered two to one.

0:51:230:51:25

It's not often that a meal comes straight towards a wolf

0:51:260:51:29

but that's what seems to have happened here.

0:51:290:51:31

Now the wolves have to really think carefully

0:51:310:51:35

whether this is worth it,

0:51:350:51:37

whether they stand a chance.

0:51:370:51:40

Scruffy shows his inexperience

0:51:430:51:45

and is pushed back by a bull.

0:51:450:51:47

Oh, she's making a go for it!

0:51:580:52:00

They're going for it.

0:52:030:52:04

They're going for the muskox.

0:52:040:52:06

They're going for the muskox.

0:52:060:52:07

Jesus, they've set panic in amongst the herd.

0:52:070:52:10

Luna and Romulus are leading the charge.

0:52:170:52:19

They don't want them to get up on the hill

0:52:210:52:22

because they'll lose them on the flat.

0:52:220:52:24

Oh, my God, this is unbelievable!

0:52:430:52:45

The muskox have regained the advantage.

0:52:480:52:50

Two massive bulls,

0:52:520:52:54

about ten females.

0:52:540:52:55

Maybe they don't stand a chance? Crikey...

0:52:570:52:59

Scruffy strays too close.

0:53:000:53:01

A bull seizes the opportunity.

0:53:020:53:04

In the confusion, the rest of the herd make a break...

0:53:070:53:09

Oh, my word!

0:53:100:53:12

..with Luna and Romulus in pursuit.

0:53:120:53:14

That was exciting.

0:53:200:53:22

Phew...!

0:53:240:53:25

It's gone midnight and I am shattered.

0:53:360:53:38

HOWLING

0:53:380:53:39

But also delighted.

0:53:390:53:41

I'm hoping I'll wake up to Luna feeding the pups

0:53:430:53:46

the muskox meal they badly need.

0:53:460:53:48

The next morning, there's still no sign of Luna.

0:54:040:54:07

It's my last day and I'm starting to worry.

0:54:080:54:11

The pups haven't fed for eight hours.

0:54:120:54:15

Luna has never left them for this long before.

0:54:170:54:20

The pups aren't weaned and no other wolf can keep them alive.

0:54:210:54:25

There's no sign of the pack.

0:54:280:54:30

So I head out to look for them.

0:54:310:54:33

I find muskox,

0:54:440:54:46

but the wolves are nowhere to be seen.

0:54:460:54:48

You can see from this viewpoint

0:54:500:54:52

how hard the wolves have to work to survive.

0:54:520:54:55

It is wild. It's the wildest place on earth.

0:54:550:54:57

We are so far north that, beyond this, it's the North Pole.

0:54:570:55:01

There is nothing.

0:55:020:55:03

And we don't know how far they go.

0:55:050:55:06

There's lots of questions about exactly where they're going to hunt.

0:55:060:55:10

It may well be that they even go into those mountains and beyond.

0:55:110:55:16

Even on this short walk,

0:55:190:55:20

I've realised that it's going to be impossible

0:55:200:55:22

to follow the wolves on foot.

0:55:220:55:24

When I get back to the den,

0:55:290:55:31

I can't see the pups.

0:55:310:55:32

I've only got a few hours until I have to leave.

0:55:350:55:38

And I'm worried about them.

0:55:390:55:41

I wonder if I can call the pups out?

0:55:520:55:54

They've heard my voice

0:55:550:55:58

and they haven't acted too adversely to it so...

0:55:580:56:01

Pup, pup, come on.

0:56:030:56:04

Come on, pups. Out you come.

0:56:060:56:08

It is unbelievable.

0:56:190:56:20

I never imagined, when I first arrived here,

0:56:220:56:25

when I was looking at this den from across the valley,

0:56:250:56:27

that I would one day be sitting right on top

0:56:270:56:32

listening to the pups inside.

0:56:320:56:33

Pretty special.

0:56:350:56:36

Their mum, Luna, has been away for 12 hours.

0:56:440:56:48

Longer than ever before.

0:56:490:56:51

The pups are starving.

0:56:530:56:55

I never expected to get this close to wild wolves.

0:57:020:57:05

Or to get so attached to them.

0:57:060:57:09

To come here and actually get to know these wolves

0:57:100:57:15

has been a complete revelation to me.

0:57:150:57:19

You know, wolves are far more incredible

0:57:190:57:23

than I could ever have imagined.

0:57:230:57:24

I've really fallen for them in a big way.

0:57:240:57:26

I desperately want to help the pups,

0:57:280:57:30

but...I can't.

0:57:300:57:32

All I can do is hope that Luna feeds them soon

0:57:350:57:39

and they're all still alive when I come back in six weeks.

0:57:390:57:43

When I return, everything has changed.

0:57:480:57:51

My wolf family are on the move...

0:57:510:57:54

..and I struggle to keep up with them.

0:57:550:57:57

Oh, wow!

0:57:590:58:00

It's a crucial time as they try to feed up for the Arctic winter.

0:58:010:58:05

That is a sign of desperation.

0:58:060:58:09

That's a sign that the wolves are finding things tough.

0:58:090:58:11

Tensions rise as they clash with a rival pack.

0:58:110:58:15

These guys have pushed my pack out.

0:58:150:58:17

I hope nothing bad's happened.

0:58:170:58:19

And I see a new side to my wolf family.

0:58:200:58:22

If ever I was going to be attacked by a wolf,

0:58:240:58:27

now would seem like a good time.

0:58:270:58:29

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