Episode 2 Snow Wolf Family and Me

HOWLING

At the end of the earth,

there's a world

where wolves have no fear of man.

I've got two of them, five metres away.

My name is Gordon Buchanan.

I'm a wildlife cameraman.

I'm attempting to do something extraordinary...

..to join a wild wolf pack.

I want to discover the true nature

of this feared and powerful predator.

HOWLING

In the spring, I got closer than I could ever have imagined

to a family of Arctic wolves.

I can see a pup!

Wow!

I fell in love with three young pups

and watched over them as they grew.

If that's not being welcomed into the pack, I don't know what is.

HOWLING

I'm going back to find out if the pups have made it.

To try to get closer to wild wolves than anyone before.

It's going to be tough,

but if I succeed,

it could change our understanding

of these incredible animals.

It's autumn in the Arctic

and I'm back to try and reunite with my wolf family.

When I was last here six weeks ago, the pups were in trouble.

The parents were off on a hunting trip,

leaving them alone and starving.

I've got no idea if they're still alive.

The wolf pack lives near the North Pole

in one of the most remote places on the planet.

Canada's Ellesmere Island

is the tenth-largest island in the world

and it's almost totally uninhabited.

It's taken me four days just to get here.

During the summer,

scientists put a GPS tracking device on one of the wolves.

The signal shows that at least that wolf is alive.

I'm getting butterflies, being back in this familiar territory,

in the hope that I might see the wolves again and see them soon.

I'm heading to the wolves' last known position.

There's no sign of the pack,

but there is an abandoned den.

Well, I was hoping that, when I touched down in this location,

the pups would be apparent.

This is an area that they've spent a lot of time.

We've seen the satellite signal from the radio-collared wolf

constantly returning to this area.

So, all the indication was that this was a rendezvous site,

a place where all the wolves get together, erm...

and there's no-one here.

HE HOWLS

There is someone at home.

But it's a weasel, not a wolf.

A few hours later, the GPS sends a new signal.

Hang on, I see something down there.

There's a musk ox carcass.

That's a good sign.

No, there they are! There, look!

One, two, three pups.

Six adults.

A full hand.

Great!

I just was so worried that I wasn't going to see the wolves again

and that, if I was going to see them,

that they were going to be without the pups.

So, to find the whole pack

and three pups...

..is the best thing ever.

All over the world, wolves avoid people.

But here on Ellesmere, these wolves have no fear.

Look, look, look, look!

Coming straight towards me.

I think...they remember me.

They have really grown.

Hey, chaps...

Just don't pull anything off the helicopter,

we're going to need that!

Hey, pups.

Look at you.

You remember me, don't you?

They're completely transformed. I don't even recognise them.

That's amazing.

Just wonderful.

I'm trying to get closer to wild wolves than anyone before.

I want to take myself to the edge with this ferocious hunter...

..to develop a new understanding.

The helicopter's heading back to a tiny weather station,

about half an hour's flight away.

It's the only human settlement for hundreds of miles.

You can tell they're a little bit cautious.

The one in the middle,

who was the biggest one when I last saw them,

still is.

I've got a funny feeling,

just by looking at their faces,

that that is a male

and two females.

I'm calling the male pup Banjo.

He looks really strong and confident.

This female, I've named Lola.

And this one,

the shyest, least confident,

is Meg.

It's brilliant to see them.

But I'm worried about what lies ahead.

The chances are that only one or two of these pups

will live to see its first birthday.

There's six adult wolves in the pack.

Three of them really stand out.

I certainly remember this yearling.

This is Scruffy.

He's very curious.

Luna, the mother, is more protective.

She's keeping an eye on her pups

and me.

Romulus, the father,

the biggest, eldest male.

He's proud, strong...

..and aloof.

It still feels unnerving,

camping right next to a pack of wild wolves,

even with my two crew members.

Ay-ah! Oh...!

That's hot!

There's been big changes since I was last here.

The pack have all left the den

and they've got the pups with them.

They have travelled at least 20 miles from the den to here,

but I can imagine, in the time that I've been away,

they've covered many, many more miles.

I was here the moment they popped their head out of the den

and I've kind of watched them grow up.

And now that they're really learning to become wolves...

..I want to try and find out what's round the corner for them.

For the last few months, the sun has been shining 24 hours a day.

In summer, the Arctic bursts into life.

But times of plenty are short-lived.

Now, at the end of August,

the sun is dipping below the horizon again.

From here on,

every day will be half an hour shorter.

And in just over six weeks,

constant day

will have turned into constant night.

The sun won't rise for four whole months.

Temperatures can drop to minus 50.

Autumn is a critical time for the pups.

I want to see if they can get strong enough to survive

the brutal winter ahead.

It's been a long and exhausting day.

I'm going to try and get some sleep.

# Diddle li-de-dee

# Di-di-di dee

# The Big Rock Candy Mountain... #

Oh, yi-yi-yi! It's cold...

Next morning, I put out remote cameras

by the carcass I spotted from the helicopter.

That is a big, old beast.

It looks like a male musk ox.

Yeah, it's a male.

A fair old size.

God, the weight...!

The weight in the head alone is incredible.

Most of the meat has gone.

There is... There's one leg left.

They'll definitely come back.

It's the perfect place to set up the camera traps.

The second I move back, the pups are in to investigate.

OK, we've got one of the pups heading towards the carcass.

And there's their big brother, Scruffy,

chief childminder.

It's not the most appetising-looking meal, but...

..this is exactly what the pack needs right now.

Especially the pups.

There's a lot of eating in a musk ox.

Any pup that enters winter slightly malnourished,

slightly underweight,

is just not going to have the reserves

to see it through those long, dark, cold months.

But, at the moment, they have everything they need.

Companionship...

..protection...

and a whole lot of grub.

It's not at all what you'd imagine a pack of wolves

feeding at a kill site would be like.

I'm really surprised by how little squabbling there is.

Not like the family I grew up in.

We fought over everything.

With this family, strength is in the pack,

so every meal must be shared.

Curiosity has got the better of one of the wolves.

It's Scruffy.

In the spring, Scruffy was the wolf I got closest to.

He was fascinated by my electric fence.

Scruffy...!

You little swine!

And my camping stool.

Absolutely no respect whatsoever for people's private property!

And eventually, by me.

You are enormous.

You might only be one year old,

but you're a big old wolf.

Now that I'm back, he's just as curious.

And I'm just as nervous.

Hey, Scruffy...

But if I'm going to be accepted by this family,

I have to stay calm.

What Scruffy is doing is sniffing me out.

These wolves very much kind of see the world through their noses,

not through their...their eyes.

Scruffy's sense of smell is like having a superpower.

His nose is thousands of times more sensitive than mine.

I hope it's telling him I'm friend,

not food!

I still wouldn't turn my back on him, though.

I always like to keep my eyes on the wolf that's at my back.

Which I think's just wise.

The meat on the carcass is running out.

That's bad news

for the wolves

and for me.

They're abandoning this kill.

And that's going to make it a lot harder to follow them.

The pups aren't ready to hunt yet.

Their teeth are still growing.

I'm surprised they're going with the adults.

Back in the spring,

the adults left the pups at the den for long periods to go hunting.

Any food they caught, they'd bring back to them.

But now that they're older, it seems that Banjo, Lola and Meg

have no choice but to travel with the pack.

Adult wolves can go 50 miles in a day in search of food.

I'm concerned about the demands this could place on the pups.

And I don't like being left behind.

I really hoped that I could just pick up where I left off

and I'm realising that it's going to be much, much harder this time.

Just looking at the mountains in the distance,

this is all places that the wolves can get to

and I'm going to try and follow them.

Keeping up with the wolves isn't going to be easy.

Next day, there's still no sign of them.

I need help.

Great. Thank you very much.

An all-terrain quad bike could give me a fighting chance

of staying with the family.

It'll be hours until I get a new position from the GPS collar.

So, my best strategy now is to go looking for them.

The distances covered by Arctic wolves are immense.

Their territories can be up to 7,000 square kilometres,

much larger than for wolves living further south,

because prey here is so scarce.

Grasses and other vegetation are stunted,

supporting only the toughest grazers.

One animal in particular

has adapted well to life on this meagre diet.

The prehistoric-looking musk ox.

For the musk ox, this time of year is all about the opposite sex.

Massive bulls, weighing up to half a tonne,

patrol their herds,

sniffing females to see who's in season.

Keeping an eye on rivals is essential.

And showing them who's boss, even more so.

These testosterone-filled bulls are deadly right now.

This is not good for wolves,

because musk ox are one of the few prey available.

I've spent the whole day searching for the wolves,

but I haven't found them.

It's just so isolated up here.

Sometimes, it feels like another planet.

I've been worrying about the wolves all night.

But then, great news.

A GPS location from the collar

shows they're heading back in my direction.

I think I've got them but way, way, way off there.

I think it might just be the six adults.

The pups aren't with them, I don't think.

Oh, no, they are.

All of them.

The whole lot.

They look like hamsters!

They are just tiny specks coming straight towards me.

I wonder how long it'll take them to cover that ground.

Because I was over there myself yesterday

and it took me about two hours to get back here.

Holy mackerel!

They're just going straight down the slope.

Almost down a cliff!

Amazing that they're taking the pups on a journey like that.

You talk about the dangers that they face.

You know, forget musk ox, forget the weather,

kind of just dealing with the landscape is incredibly dangerous.

Here they come...

So, they're going be here in five minutes.

Great.

Really lovely just to see the whole pack

picking their way across the tundra.

Where are the pups?

Really incredible that they're following the pack.

One of the pups is going slower than the others.

It's Meg.

She's looking skinny.

I hope she's OK.

They're heading straight for the carcass.

They obviously haven't had any success out hunting.

It's not surprising the pups are hungry.

They must be absolutely ravenous

covering miles and miles every single hour.

And the adults are well used to periods of starvation.

It's just part of being a wolf.

Hunger is something new to these pups.

Hunger is something they're going to have to get used to.

I'm going move in a little bit closer.

I think these pups are happy enough with me.

They'll tolerate a little bit more proximity.

They are completely absorbed in what they're doing.

And, actually, I think we've got to that stage

that they're not that fussed about me at all.

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

now it would seem like a good time.

Banjo's got the only meaty bit left.

Lola and Meg have decided to leave him to it.

Back in the spring,

I remember one pup always dominating the other two.

That must have been Banjo.

From their first days inside the den,

pups compete for their mother's milk.

Meg was always at the back of the queue.

But, hopefully, she'll be fine,

so long as her family can make a new kill.

HOWLING

HOWLING CONTINUES

I'm about to be serenaded.

HOWLING

I think I should just lie back and enjoy this.

HOWLING

I would join in but I think I'd spoil it.

HOWLING

Howling is the best way to rally the pack before they move on.

HOWLS

They seem to be going for a wander.

I wonder if they'll let me tag along?

Walking along the tundra with wolves in front of me,

wolves by my side and wolves behind me...

..you get this enormous sense of...of freedom.

Really peaceful.

Hi, Scruffy.

Come on, lad.

Come on.

And I think I've come to understand them.

I think...I think I know where I stand with them.

They don't see me as a threat. I don't see them as a threat.

Amazing opportunities like this don't come around that often.

So, I think, you know, you just have to trust your instincts...

..go with your gut,

walk with the wolves.

I'm really starting to feel like part of this family.

Next morning, I'm delighted to see my wolves are still around.

Scruffy's suddenly spotted something and kind of trotted towards it,

and he's stuck his nose in a hole

and I think that it was a lemming that he spotted.

Collared lemmings are small, hamster-like rodents.

It's surprising how many there are here in the barren tundra.

Lemmings live off roots, shoots and insects...

..if they can find them.

They burrow into the soil, making little chambers for sleeping.

But that's not always deep enough

to escape a determined pair of wolf paws.

GROWLS

Scruffy's done well,

but a lemming's just a snack,

and it's the only food I've seen my wolves catch since I got here.

The pack needs a proper kill.

For hours, all is quiet.

Then, suddenly, they spot something.

Just down there, there's a herd of musk ox.

They're in hunting mode.

Romulus and Luna are out in front.

So, we've got three wolves moving down towards the...the musk ox.

This could get really interesting.

They used the cover of the hill to get much closer.

And now they're really close.

These wolves haven't made a kill in coming up for two weeks now

and they will be getting to that desperate point.

They will be getting hungry.

Their supplies from their previous kill are running low

and they have to catch something, they have to make a kill.

They have to get enough food for these pups.

Now the wolves are having a good old look.

And what each one of these wolves is doing

is just trying to detect any weakness,

any vulnerability in any of the herd.

It's real David and Goliath stuff

when you see the wolf standing beside a musk ox.

Oh, he's just charged it, look!

Behind the bull, the rest of the musk ox have bunched together.

They're protecting a calf.

They've pushed it into the middle of the defensive ring

and are standing head-on to the wolves.

Whoa, charge again!

This is really dangerous and the stakes couldn't be higher.

If my wolves make a kill, it could save the whole pack from starving.

But even the slightest injury could be fatal.

They don't dash in towards a herd of musk ox

because that's going to spook them

before they can do what they really need to do,

which is get a good, close look.

The pack have decided this is too risky.

These wolves are only here

because they've become experts

at bringing down these formidable animals.

But there's just not an individual in this group that they can tackle.

It is just a waste of energy.

You can see the pups watching on.

These pups will be picking up everything,

watching the moves that the adults make.

They will only survive out here if they make the right decisions.

If they don't make any mistakes.

I'm concerned about these pups.

Especially the timid one, Meg.

I would dearly love to give them something to eat.

But the rules here are strict.

We're not allowed to feed them.

You are beautiful. Look at you.

Scruff, Scruff...

He is my favourite wolf.

He is so bold.

Incredibly curious.

I suppose that's just part of being a wolf

that's just over one year old.

No...!

Breaking the camera trap.

No...!

Every day that goes by,

I'm feeling more and more comfortable with my wolves.

I want to see if I can build a whole new level of trust.

It's great that Banjo's so confident.

But maybe I've taken this too far.

I just have to hold my nerve.

Scruffy...!

I don't like you going behind me, you know that.

You are still a wolf.

Is it my scent that you're getting?

Rather him than me.

I haven't washed in weeks.

I think I can see how this fearsome predator

eventually became man's best friend.

Hey, Scruffy...

Don't even think about it.

Look at the size of you.

He's actually quite nervous.

He's flinching at the slightest sound I make.

I think I might be getting over my slight fear of Scruffy.

I think he's just incredibly inquisitive.

He just wants to have a good old look.

I think I am understanding him more than I did.

He's still an enormous wolf,

but he just wants to get as close to me

as I want to get to him, really.

I suppose that's how it's working.

Having Scruffy touch me was amazing.

That's the first time he's been so close.

My instinct tells me I can get even closer.

Next morning, my wolves have left again.

The GPS shows they're over a day away by quad bike.

Too far to follow.

With the wolves gone, other animals dare to surface.

An Arctic fox is scouting for scraps.

Animals like these depend on the wolves' kills.

A gyrfalcon pays a visit.

These are the largest falcons in the world.

Normally, they hunt birds and small mammals,

but this one's also been scavenging.

He's having to compete with a skua.

It's great to see all this other life,

but I'm missing my wolf family

and my time is running out.

OK, we're running.

Yeah, it's getting colder and colder.

It's getting well into minus temperatures now.

And outside, with the wind-chill, it's freezing.

Inside, it's not much better.

And I'm kind of rapidly realising why no-one's tried to study wolves

in this part of the world so far into the season.

I'm just kind of worried that it's going to get to the point

where it's just too hard

and I'm going to run out of time.

And I'm...I'm desperate not to leave

without kind of having some kind of closure

and finding out that the pups are OK.

That they've kind of...the family have done the best for them

and that they can survive as the endless night approaches.

Next morning, the GPS shows my wolves are still in the same spot.

It's well outside their normal territory.

They must have gone there looking for food.

Since it's too far to go on the quad bike,

I've called in the helicopter.

We've got a good sense of how big the pack's territory is

and this seems to be outside their territory.

A long way outside their territory.

No, there they are there, look.

There they are.

OK, I'm trying to count them.

I think they're all here.

Can't quite tell.

And what they're doing here, I don't know.

But then I see a dead musk ox.

That's why they're here.

They've almost travelled 100 miles since the last time I saw them

and that's a long, long, long way for a pup.

We've got... Actually this isn't...

I don't recognise that wolf.

No, I really don't know that wolf.

This is not our pack.

These aren't my wolves.

Two big males.

I don't quite know what's going on.

These wolves look a whole lot bigger than mine.

We've got a number of strange wolves.

I'm trying to look for someone that I recognise.

It looks like a pack with a lot of big, big, big wolves in it.

Look at this wolf.

Gosh, just looks so different.

Looks foreign.

Right. I'm going to get out.

Yeah, I am worried,

because this is the location that I got the GPS collar from.

Right here.

And I arrive

and it's not our wolves.

If a wolf moves into another wolf's territory...

..it's bad news.

My wolves probably came to check out this rival pack's kill.

That's the most dangerous thing a wolf can do.

I'm really worried.

Oh, gosh, I hope nothing bad's happened.

I just don't know what's going on.

I have to wait for the...the next GPS coordinate.

When the new position eventually comes in,

it shows they're back in their territory.

I can see them.

This is really strange.

I'm used to them coming right up to me.

But they seem subdued.

One, two, three, four, five...

Can't see everyone but I think they're all spread out.

But we've got the pups, all three.

Unless I was looking at one of the adults. Erm...

Actually, I can only see two of the pups.

Yeah...

I don't know where the third one is.

No. I can't see it.

Hey, guys.

Hey, wolves.

What's going on here?

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight...

I can only see two of the pups.

Erm... Hang on, it's got to be there.

It has to be there. Come on.

They're all starting to lie down.

It doesn't look good.

It's Meg that's gone.

She was the shyest pup,

always trailing behind.

That's the first time I've seen them all together like that

and not been able to count everyone.

It is entirely likely that they encountered the other pack

once they'd strayed into their...their territory.

I've been contemplating all the dangers

that the pups have faced since I've been with them

and the one thing that I actually overlooked

was the danger that comes from wolves themselves.

If the rest of the pack ran away,

it may be that Meg was just too slow.

It looks like she's been killed by the rival pack.

What I wanted to do before I left was to just...

..maybe have confidence in the fact that

all the pups were going to be OK.

And I wanted to leave them...

..feeding on a big musk ox, everyone happy and full.

But then, that's just...

..no surprise.

Life is hard up here.

And the High Arctic is no place for the weak.

Looking at my family, they appear to be grieving for Meg.

It's my last night in the Arctic...

..and the unstoppable winter is on its way, fast.

I never imagined I'd get so attached to wild wolves.

Getting so close makes me miss my own family back home.

I desperately want to catch up with my wolves again.

I've got to say a proper goodbye.

When I find them again, they're still on the move.

Scruffy has spotted some Arctic hare.

Being light and agile, he stands the best chance of catching one.

Neither of them can afford to slip.

This'll be interesting.

If it was one of the older wolves,

I reckon that they'd give the pups a bit of food.

But Scruffy's not letting go.

A real tussle going on.

Come on, Scruffy, give 'em a bit.

One hare doesn't go very far,

especially if you're like Scruffy and you don't want to share it.

He's run off with it.

Banjo's running after him.

He's not going to give up, look at him.

He's just chasing Scruffy all over the place.

And this isn't a game. It looks like a game.

But that pup is starving.

It's desperate for food

and Scruffy's not letting it have any.

You know, Scruffy caught this hare.

He's not going to give it up for anyone,

no matter how much he gets pestered.

Oh, look! He's got...he's got it off him!

Look at that!

Well done, wee man, that's great.

There's quite a good bit of meat and all of that will go.

That is high-energy puppy food.

I like this pup.

Banjo's persistence has paid off

and big brother, Scruffy, has rewarded him.

That's the kind of wolf pup that survives.

You have to be bold, you have to be aggressive to make it out here.

Luna got some of that hare as well.

If Lola begs her mother enough, she'll get a meal, too.

It's so great to see the family eat.

If they can keep getting snacks like this,

the pups could make it.

HOWLS

It is extraordinary that you can be this close to a pack of wild wolves.

You can sort of get a little bit complacent about it

and then you remind yourself, once you lose them

and spend hours and hours and miles and miles searching for them,

that when you do find them and you can just stand

less than 100 metres away,

it is really unique.

Now that they're bedded down,

this could be my best chance to get close to the family.

I've had a lot of amazing experiences with these wolves,

but this feels special.

Don't be afraid. I'm just going to loiter about here.

What a beauty!

You know, as much as I've tried to get close to this family,

there's a boundary,

there's this limit...

limit that they're comfortable with,

which is as it should be, really.

Steady.

To be surrounded by wolves is simply incredible.

It's not something that I'm at all fearful of...

..because I've seen that the true wolf,

the real wolf,

doesn't at all live up to the stereotype.

They are not a mindless, ruthless killer.

They are an incredibly caring, doting family member.

And the most important thing to them is looking after their family,

looking after their young.

Getting this close to Scruffy and the pups

convinces me that you can connect with wild wolves.

Hey, how're you doing?

It's such a privilege to get to know these intriguing predators.

That they're so relaxed is truly extraordinary.

Having a stare-off with a wolf...

It is unbelievable.

And I really worry,

not just for the pups,

but for the...the rest of the family,

all these beautiful creatures.

You know, what does the future hold for them?

This is a place that is wild beyond belief.

And I think wolves symbolise more than anything

not just the wild...

..but...

Too close!

Selfie!

You're towering above me.

You're looking in a playful mood.

Gosh, that is incredibly close.

I could reach out and touch you.

There's a small stick...

That's as big as sticks come around these parts.

The nearest tree is 1,000 miles to the south.

Fetch!

Look at this...

Our relationship with wolves is so full of fear and distrust.

But it doesn't need to be.

This must have been what it was like when man and wolf first met.

When there was no fear,

just curiosity.

But as soon as it's happened,

playtime's over.

The family needs to go hunting.

And I have to leave before winter sets in.

I may never see my wolf family again.

There's something brave and defiant about these wolves...

..that they're able to survive here at the top of the world

on the very edge of existence.

Wolves are one of the most feared and persecuted animals

on the planet.

But their true nature shows me how wrong we've been.

They are a highly intelligent creature

that only does what it does

not just to feed itself

but to...to feed its family.

And when you put it into a human context, it's...

it's remarkably similar to our lives.

We are the strongest when we're with our family.

We feel happy when we're with our companions.

And the same goes for...for wolves.

You know, power is in the pack and power is in the family.

A huge part of me would love to stay,

to follow their story,

to find out what happens next.

But I've got to go.

To return home to my family.