05x01 - Phantom Wolves

[bunniefuu]

[Howling]

Hey,
is that a wolf?

[Chris]
sure. This is a show
all about wolves,

And when you're
going after wolves,

You got to move!

[Martin]
and it's not just wolves.

We're also moving through
the thick northern pines
and over rocky cliffs

In search of the wolf's
closest relative, the coyote.

[Chris]
with a few big
surprise guests in-between.

[Martin]
it's an adventure that
literally brings us face-to-face

With some of north america's
coolest predators.

What great creatures!

Iarriba!

Iandale, andale!

[Wolves howling]

We're here
in north america

Trying to find
the elusive timber wolf.

[Howls]

One of the best ways
to try and find the wolf

Is to imitate their howl.

Wolves will usually
howl back

And then come
and try to find the howler.

That's how members of a pack
locate each other.

[Howls]

You called?

Hey, it works!

Now let's try and see
if we can find some real wolves.

[Howling]

Guys, you're overloading
our circuit board.

Chris?

Martin?

[Howling]

[Chris and martin
continue howling]

Wait.
Did you hear that?

[Wolf howling]

Yeah.

It worked,

But they're way out.
Yeah.

Let's keep going--

No. Let's not
keep trying.

[Howling]

[Chris, martin,
and wolves howling]

[Allison]
hey, what is that?

Chris? Martin?
Where'd you guys go?

[Martin's voice fading]
what do you mean where'd we go?

We're here in the boreal forest
looking for timber wolves.

[Allison]
I can hear you,
but I can't see you,

But for a minute there, I could
have sworn I saw a timber wolf.

Ah, my old pal
timber wolf.

Now, there's
a great guy, a real--

Wait a minute.
I don't know any timber wolf.

What's going on?
Is there a new wolf in town?

Not really.
Timber wolf is just a name

For one of the wolves
found throughout the world.

The reason
they're named differently

Is just to tell what kind
of area they come from--

You know, like, timber wolves
are from the forest.

Boy, you humans.
What's in a name?

In my day, canis lupus
was canis lupus,

Just another member
of the dog family,

Along with...

That old scallywag the fox.

All these guys evolved
from the same ancestor,

A guy called the bear-dog.

Over time,
the bear-dog ancestry split.

One group became
raccoons and bears,

And the other group
went strictly to the dogs.

They kept growing
and evolving,

And the next thing I knew,

We had wolves,
coyotes, and dogs.

Now, that's something
to bark about.

Only problem is,

It's a lot easier finding
a domestic dog than a wolf.

It's a lot easier.

The problem
with finding wolves

Is that
they travel up
to a hundred miles

Just looking
for food.

But we've got
strategy number one

To find out
where they're headed.

We're going to
track the trackers

As they're tracking
the tracked.

And that means...

Ravens.ravens.

[Martin]
the reason
we're following ravens

Is because they're well-known
for following wolves.

[Chris]
ravens love to scavenge kills
made by other animals,

So it makes sense that they'd
follow these master predators

And try to join in
on their feast.

[Martin]
hey, ravens look like
they're following something.

Could be wolves
up ahead.

[Chris]
could be, but I feel like
we're being followed.

[Martin]
hey, chris.
Check it out--

A wolverine!

[Chris]
this is a real
creature exclusive.

Wolverines are almost impossible
to find in the wild.

[Martin]
wolverines are tough,
scrappy hunters,

But believe it or not, they're
actually not related to wolves.

They're related
to weasels.

[Chris]
I don't think it was a wolverine
the ravens were tracking.

[Martin]
I agree.
Let's keep moving.

[Chris]
man! It isn't easy
tracking ravens.

[Martin]
hey, chris.
You know what I just realized?

[Chris]
what?

Ravens have one
big advantage over us--
they can fly.

So a raven can
keep up with a wolf

A lot better
than we can.

Where'd they go now?

[Chirring]

Did you hear that?
Coming from down there.

That "chee-chee-cheek"
sound.

Followed
by that "cherr."

Do you know
what that means?

[Together]
red squirrels!

Red squirrels are
super-territorial.

They don't like
any creature walking
through their territory.

So when you hear
all that noise
that they're making,

You know that someone
must have wandered by...

Like a wolf!

Come on. Let's follow
the warning signs
of the red squirrels.

[Chris]
wolf-searching strategy
number two.

[Chris]
I can't see anything...

But it still feels
like we're being followed.

Hey, martin.

I found the squirrels!

[Martin]
or a couple of squirrels,
anyway.

Looks like
that baby's fallen,

And mom's trying to bring it
back to the nest.

[Chris]
she better hurry because
if there's wolves around...

[Martin]
these squirrels were making
a huge racket--distress signals!

That probably means there are
wolves around here somewhere.

Look how nervous
this mother squirrel is.

If the wolves find her
before she can save her baby,

They're toast!

[Chris]
I think she's got
a grip on it now.

[Martin]
she's got to move
before the wolves appear.

[Chris]
she's got a hold,
and she's out of here.

[Martin]
red squirrels really are quick,
clever, industrious creatures...

[Chris]
in more ways than one.

Every red squirrel
has a good hideout to run to

When an intruder comes by.

This is what happens

When a red squirrel gets ahold
of some pine cones.

A red squirrel can take
a pine cone like this

And turn it into this.

Pine cones are one of
the red squirrel's main meals,

And the way they store them
is pretty clever.

[Chris]
first they chew the pine cones
down before they fully ripen.

[Martin]
then they throw them
to the ground, run down,

Gather them up, and take them
to a certain place.

They then dig
little holes in the ground.

They gather up
all the pine cones

And start storing them
inside.

[Chris]
once they're done
collecting and storing,

They'll cover up the holes.

Now they've got
a stash of pine cones

Ripening underground,
called a midden.

[Martin]
sometimes a midden can have
as many as 130 pine cones,

Which comes in pretty handy

During those long,
cold winter months.

Well,
I can't see anything,

But at least
my computer's still up.

According to my info,

There are four packs of wolves
in the guys' vicinity.

That could mean
close to 25 wolves.

It may not seem like many,

But it's pretty good
when you consider

What's been happening to wolves
over the last 40 years.

Check it out.

The 24 subspecies of wolves

Were once widespread
in north america.

Now? Different story.

[Ttark]
you can say that again.

There's hardly
any of them left
in the united states,

And canada isn't
exactly overrun.

But remember,
wolves are survivors.

They can live
almost anywhere.

The real problem
is humans,

Who still believe
in the "big, bad wolf" thing,

So they sh**t them
on sight.

What? No wonder
chris and martin
can't find any wolves.

If I were a wolf,
I wouldn't let a human
get any closer

Than a 10-foot
megaloceros antler!

That's why it's time
for strategy number three.

[Martin]
tracking!

Tracking is a technique

People have been using
for millions of years.

It's a way to use
all of your senses--

Sight, sound, hearing,
and smell--

To tell which direction
a creature is traveling in.

Animals sniff the air

For the scent
of the creature
they're tracking.

Wherever the smell
is the strongest,

That's the direction
they go in.

[Chris]
wolves use an amazingly keen
sense of smell

To track down prey
like marmots.

Many times, before a wolf
has even seen his prey,

He's picked up the scent.

[Martin]
he then follows the scent,
careful to remain downwind.

[Chris]
if the wind
goes against him,

The marmot will be alerted
and run for his burrow.

[Martin]
then the wolf has no choice
but to sniff out other prey.

[Chris]
'course, we don't have
the wolf's sense of smell.

That's why
we're following tracks.

[Martin]
but even then, we need
a few tracking tricks ourselves.

Sight, sound, and touch
are all important.

You listen for sounds
of animals moving nearby.

You touch the tracks
to feel if they're warm
and the mud is soft.

Then you know
how recent they are.

Then you figure out
which way the tracks
are headed and follow them.

Good thing
we're skilled trackers.

No kidding, or we'd
neverfind a wolf.

Come on.

Chris, come here.

What did you find?

Look at this--
wolf tracks.

The mud's
still soft.

These look fresh.

[Animal yelping]

[Yelping]

[Chris]
martin, over here!

Hey,
is that a wolf?

That's not a wolf!

It's a coyote!

[Chris]
mistaking a coyote
for a wolf is pretty common.

[Martin]
let's see if we
can answer the question...

[Chris]
what is the difference
between a wolf and a coyote?

[Martin]
the big difference is
that a coyote is a lot smaller,

And it has a pointier nose
and pointier ears.

[Chris]
these are wolves,

And they weigh
around 130 pounds.

That's three times more
than a coyote.

Because
of that extra size,

They can hunt much bigger prey
than a coyote can.

Some people
call coyotes
brush wolves,

But they're really
not wolves at all.

Because if a wolf
catches a coyote,

He'll eat him.

That's ifthe wolf
can catch a coyote.

Remember, a coyote
can jump distances

Of up to 14 feet.

Yee-ha!

Yahoo!

Yeah!

And can run


If you're trying
to keep up with a coyote...

You've got to move!

[Martin]
and you've got
to have stamina.

[Chris]
coyotes can trek
up to 400 miles.

[Martin]
they're able to scoot through
dense brush, tall grass, and...

[Chris]
water!

He already
made it across.

Coyotes
are great swimmers
and pretty tricky.

Yeah.

Where's
he going now?

We got to find
a way to cross this.
Let's go around.

[Chris]
coyotes have basically moved in
and taken over areas

Where wolves
have been exterminated.

[Martin]
coyotes will eat
mainly rabbits, rodents,

And small mammals.

Coyotes working in pairs
have even been known

To take down prey
as big as deer.

[Chris]
check out how this one
locates her prey,

Then pounces.

[Martin]
this coyote has company.

He's been hunting
on a cougar's turf.

[Chris]
coyotes may be tough,
but they're no match

For this 275-pound cat.

[Martin]
guess that's why
the coyote's hightailing it

For other hunting grounds.

[Ttark]
coyotes?
I love coyotes!

Talk about your tough,
adaptable dogs.

Back around
the pliocene era,

When you humans were
just promising primates,

These guys were battling the ice
and cold of north america.

Brrr!

Almost everyone else
wound up as fossils.

But the old coyote--
he kept on trekkin'.

[Allison]
coyotes are real survivors.

In the 1800s,
they lived mainly on the plains

And were considered pests.

People k*lled them

Because sometimes
they att*cked farm animals.

Can you believe it?

And wherever the wolf
went extinct in north america,

The coyote took over
the wolf's territory.

Even humans couldn't keep
the coyote down.

[Ttark]
sure. Those guys
know how to adapt.

Snow, desert, thick forest--
no matter where you put them,

They'll always find
something to eat.

Hey, ttark. That's it!

Hey, I knew I could fix it
if I just used my head.

Ow.

Did you say
something, al?

The key to survival
is food, right?

So that's how
we find the wolf,

By finding the wolf's
favorite dinner.

Oh, no.
Guys, did you hear me?

If you go
after the wolf's prey,

Chances are
you'll find a wolf.

Out in the north woods,
there are all sorts of creatures

The wolf loves
to chow down on.

'Course,
there are some creatures

You'll never find a wolf
hanging around.

In other words,

If a coyote is afraid
of a cougar,

Who would a wolf
be afraid of?

[Martin]
oh, that's easy.
How about a grizzly bear?

[Chris]
no kidding. Now, wolves
aren't terrified of grizzlies,

But they would prefer
to avoid a confrontation.

[Martin]
however, if he happens
to wander by,

A lone wolf might be tempted
to go after the cubs.

[Chris]
mom gives out her warning--

"Back off, pal!"

[Martin]
and the wolf knows
he better not try anything.

[Chris]
the cubs have figured out
the name of the game, too.

They're imitating mom.

[Martin]
so the wolf's gone,

But even then, the cubs
make sure to stick close to mom.

[Chris]
martin, what was that al was
saying about tracking wolves?

Did she say
look for a wolf's
favorite dinner?

We're a little ahead
of her on this one.

[Chris]
we're on
to strategy number four!

But the wolf
is way ahead of us.

This is--
or I should say, was

A red fox's cache.

It's where a fox buried
some food to eat later.

But this one has been
completely raided
by a wolf.

[Martin]
finding a raided fox cache
is one way of knowing

That you might be close
to a wolf.

[Chris]
a cache is a spot where foxes
bury and hide their food.

It's the fox's way of saving
excess grub for a rainy day.

[Martin]
but wolves are
onto the fox's strategy.

They're always on the lookout
for a quick and easy way

To grab a snack.

[Chris]
and snack-grabbing doesn't come
much quicker and easier

Than finding a fox cache
and raiding it.

[Martin]
when the fox finishes
caching his food,

He figures it's safe
to take off.

[Chris]
but what he doesn't know

Is that the wolf is using
his amazing sense of smell

To lead him to the fox's
secret store of stashed grub.

[Martin]
a little sniffing,
a little digging,

And the wolf's
cracked the cache.

Raiding a fox cache
is a great way for a wolf
to get an easy meal.

You know, chris...

I'm not sure we're
going about this
the right way.

So how about this?

Instead of us looking
for the wolf's prey,

Why not bring
the wolf's prey to us?

That's great!

A wolf pack will hunt
large prey like moose,

So I'm going to use
this moose horn

Made out of birch bark

To try and call
a moose in.

Now, hopefully,
the sound of this call--

And maybe
a moose's presence--

Will also attract wolves.

[Low bellowing]

Here. Let me try.

[Trumpet playing]

I guess that horn
must be faulty.

Hey, martin, look.

Elk!

So that means this
is an elk horn,

Not a moose horn.

But elk are great,

And they're also one
of a wolf's favorite foods.

So where there's elk,
there could be wolves.

[Chris]
the whole thing
about elk bugling is simple.

[Martin]
it's one of the many ways

That male elk
go about attracting females

And establishing territories
during mating season.

[High-pitched bugling]

[High-pitched bugling]

[Chris]
man, they can sure
make a ruckus.

[Martin]
one way elk keep
competing males away

Is by showing off their size
and, of course, their antlers.

Only male elk have them.

[Chris]
they're useful for more
than just attracting females.

They're great
when you got an itch.

[Martin]
for our purposes right now,

The thing is that elk
are here in abundance.

So where there's elk,
there could be wolves.

[Allison]
but my question is,
why are they so hard to find?

The guys
are still in an area

Where there should be
tons of wolves.

If the guys
arewith a herd of elk,

Wolves should be
all around them.

I mean, we're talking
tenacious hunters here.

This could be
a wolf k*ll.

It takes more
than a few wolves

To bring down
a bull moose.

[Martin]
because a bull moose can stand


And weigh
up to 1,400 pounds.

[Chris]
that's a hard takedown.

When a moose feels threatened,
he can be dangerous.

[Martin]
uh-oh. Here he comes!

You may wonder how a wolf
manages to hunt a moose

Or any other
really big animal.

[Chris]
simple!

Wolves
are intelligent.

They have the ability
to remember things,

To associate events,
and to learn.

Those are skills
that are very important

When you live
in a pack,

Where organization
and teamwork
are crucial.

Each member of the pack
has its own particular
rank and position.

[Martin]
the leader of the pack
is called the alpha male,

And he decides
when and where they hunt.

[Chris]
once the prey is spotted,
the wolves make their move.

They work together, surrounding
and then taking down large prey.

[Martin]
although all of them
participate in the k*ll,

The alpha male gets dibs
on the grub.

[Chris]
then the other wolves
pile onto the carcass,

Each claiming and defending
part for themselves.

[Martin]
it looks like
it's every wolf for himself,

But there actually seems to be
this ownership zone

Within about a foot
of a wolf's mouth.

[Chris]
anything within that zone
is beyond dispute.

[Martin]
order and hierarchy
plays a key role

In the life
of the wolf pack.

[Chris]
that's why
when the feeding is done,

Order will be restored
when the lower-ranking wolves

Behave submissively
to their superiors again.

[Martin]
it's a way of making clear

That they know where
they stand in the group.

[Chris]
eventually, they'll all
head back to the den,

Bringing back parts of the k*ll
to feed the pups.

[Martin]
it might look like these pups
are just playing around--

And they are--

But they're also doing
something very important--

Sorting out
a hierarchy of their own.

[Chris]
as soon as the pups know
that the food has arrived,

They're ready to eat
and eat and eat...

[Martin]
and then eat some more.

[Chris]
the parents always keep
a sharp eye out

For other predators
as the pups feed.

[Martin]
at the end of it all,

All of the wolves are ready
for a little nap.

[Chris]
all this talk
about how wolves hunt

Sort of makes you wonder--

What would it be like
to actually hunt like a wolf?

Follow me.

[Martin]
wolves use a lot
of different hunting strategies,

And we can only guess

What they'd do
in any given situation.

[Chris]
but after watching them
in action,

There are some tricks
we picked up

That we definitely
can put into play.

[Martin]
we've moved in,
undetected by our prey.

[Chris]
now we split up,

Going after them
on a broad front.

We've got to be careful.
They haven't spotted us yet.

[Martin]
we come back together
once we've gotten close enough.

They still
haven't seen us.

[Chris]
we hang low, getting ready
for the final approach.

[Martin]
we have to get as close
to our prey as we can.

That will really increase
our chance of success.

[Chris]
mission accomplished.

We got close enough
to rush in for the k*ll,

If we were wolves.

That's what
I call teamwork.

Look how close
we got!

Elk are one of
the largest deer
in the world.

They can stand
about 6 feet tall.

They're one of
the wolf's favorite foods,

But they're
not easy to catch.

An elk moves
almost silently
through the bush

At speeds
of 35 miles an hour.

[Allison]
martin? Chris?
Are you there?

Hey, al.
Where have you been?

I think you're forgetting

One of the most important
wolf pack ways of communicating.

I took their average highest
note as being d-sharp high,

Their average low note
as being middle c.

I took the length of their call
as being 4.7 seconds...

[Howling]

[Martin]
allison!

And then the harmonics
up to 12.

Allison!

What?

If you ever need proof

That elk always keep
their ears open for wolves,
look at this.

You've scared her off.

[Allison]
but that one wasn't me.

Hey, guys,
we have picture.

Uh, guys?

I don't think you're
exactly alone out there.

I guess we were
pretty convincing
as wolves.

With al's howls
and the way we
stalked those elk,

We'd be a great addition
to any wolf pack.

[Allison]
I knew it was a wolf
I saw before.

Guys, he's been
tracking you all along.

I think it was my wolf symphony
that called him in.

Could be. Howling
has functions

No one really
fully understands,

But one of
the main purposes

Is to assemble
the pack together.

[Chris]
assemble is right!

[Wolves howling]

[Martin]
hey, they're coming in
from all sides.

[Martin]
howling sure does bring
the pack together,

But, you know,
there's more to it than that.

Pack members are able
to recognize each other
by their howls.

Yeah. Because howling
is also used to
advertise territory.

Wolves have been
known to defend
their territory

Against other wolves.

[Allison]
against other wolves?

How territorial
arethese creatures?

No one seems
to know for sure

How territorial
wolves are,

But this pack doesn't
seem to mind us sharing
the wilderness with them.

What great creatures!

"The wolf is a strong,
sensitive, intelligent animal

"With complicated social
behavior and real family ties.

"It's managed to survive
for millions of years

In lots
of different habitats."

But because we're
afraid of them,

They're now threatened.

We have to do something
to protect the wolves' future.

The best way
is to learn about them,

Understand them,
and protect them.

We finally found
a way to track

And keep up
with a pack of wolves.

We're going to do it
like the ravens--

From the air!

[Chris]
I figure if we fly her
low enough,

We'll see tons of wolves.

Right, martin?
Martin? Where are you?

Chris, wait for me!

[Chris]
oh, man. You mean I'm flying
this thing on my own?

Hey, I wonder
what this lever does.

Oh, well.
Where's a canoe?