National Geographic: White Wolf (1986)

[bunniefuu]

Less than 500 miles from

the North Pole

lies Canada's most distant frontier

Ellesmere island.

It takes a special kind of

animal to survive here.

This is one the arctic wolf.

These hunters of the high Arctic

have little fear of man.

They roam this frozen wilderness

beyond reach of the superstition,

hatred and mistrust we have

heaped upon their kind.

Now, these wolves and men have met

and the encounter has revealed some

of the truth about these animals' lives.

Unlike wolves in other parts

of the world,

these creatures live so far away

from towns and cities

that they have never been

hunted or persecuted.

Ellesmere is an island surrounded

by pack ice most of the year,

a harsh land about

the size of Nebraska.

Only someone with a passion for

wolves would dream of tracking

them into this desolate land.

One such person is photographer

Jim Brandenburg.

He has been here before,

on assignment for

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC magazine.

Now the wolves have lured him back.

Wolves have always been a

favorite animal of mine.

And I suppose one of the reasons

they're my favorite animals is

because they're so intelligent

that intelligence makes it nearly

impossible to film them

in a more conventional place,

say in the forested areas.

And for some reason

these Arctic wolves

have got a quality about them

where they tolerated us very well,

and it became clear that

it would make a wonderful story.

The spring sunlight illuminates

a world released from

the long months of high Arctic winter.

The polar bears patrol once again,

but they are little thr*at

to the wolves here,

since they rarely move far

from the sea.

The wolves are more likely

to chase them,

according to Dave Mech,

a wolf biologist with

He came here with Jim Brandenburg

to observe the pack and its den.

It was a dream come true for me to

finally get to Ellesmere Island.

I had known about the wolves

there for about 20 years.

But I never thought I'd ever

have a chance to work with them.

Everywhere else in the world wolves

have been so persecuted that

they're extremely afraid of humans.

And once can't get close enough

to them to watch them.

The area is so remote they're

basically unafraid of humans.

For the first time,

Mech can watch from close up

as a wolf pays homage

to its pack leaders,

known as the

Alpha Male and the Alpha Female.

The hierarchy of the group

who dominates whom is reflected

in body language and actions.

By observing and analyzing

the wolves behavior,

scientists like Mech and understand the

social structure of the family unit.

To learn what I wanted

I knew I had to find the den,

The shelter where the wolves have

their pups for a couple of months

of the year in the summer.

There's only one such den in

about 1,000 square miles,

so it took a long time to find it.

Actually, I spent a solid week

searching for it and was elated

when I finally was able to locate it.

There's very few such suitable dens

around in this region

because of the pervasive permafrost

which prevents the wolves from digging.

Having found the den,

it was really clear to me

why the wolves had chosen the sight.

It was a beautiful rock cave at the

end of a long ridge overlooking

a wide valley with a stream

flowing down the middle.

And the wolves could look out in

every direction for many miles.

What Dave and Jim are about to

observe and film in the short

Arctic summer would give them

a unique experience.

They knew they had the possibility of

living in the midst of this wild pack,

almost becoming part of it.

They found themselves amazingly

close to "Mon", as they called her,

as she took her pups out,

probably fro the first time.

These were not the mindless K*llers

of fiction and fable.

Finally, the men could begin to

record the real story of these animals.

Film making is an involved process

lots of equipment,

lots of boxes of lenses and cameras.

In a remote location like this,

especially, we need backup equipment.

So we need extra beyond the normal.

The wolves had picked the perfect den

and we did try to

find the perfect campsite.

We wanted to be close enough to the

wolf den to keep an eye on it,

yet not too close to

put pressure on the pack

and the daily activity of

rearing the pups.

Again, one of the reasons I respect

wolves so much is you can't fool them.

As a wildlife photographer

you learn very quickly

techniques that you can use to

sneak up on animals.

Either using a hide or a blind,

or long lenses.

In such difficult terrain,

teamwork is essential.

We were able to work quite well

together because of the fact that

both of us needed the same thing.

To photograph wolves or to observe

them you've got to get close.

The main thing we had to watch out for

was just that we didn't disturb them.

With this kind of light, Dave,

I think we'll have to

get a little closer.

It's awfully murky and heavy light.

Yeah, I think we can do it.

They don't show any sign of

being disturbed now.

If Mom is like last year she'll

be quite tolerant.

Yeah, but we can't take a chance.

It might not even be her.

Right.

Let's just go slowly at first.

There's nowhere to hide in this

barren landscape,

and the wolves see or sense

anything that moves.

Mom knows the men are there

but tolerates their careful,

patient approach.

The pups were born in May;

now five weeks old,

they are constantly exploring.

For Dave Mech,

this unusually intimate view provided

important new information.

Already the benefits of watching

the wolves so close up

became apparent when I was

able to see them nursing.

I could determine how long the pups

nursed at each bout,

how many bouts there were each day,

and then watch this progress

throughout the summer

until finally weaning took place.

Although it's almost midsummer,

the day is freezing cold

A new experience for the pups.

They spent the first weeks

of life in the den,

sheltered by their mother's warmth.

Luckily, there are places to

get away from the chilling wind.

The pups are a picture of

quiet innocence,

far removed from any image of

wicked wolves howling

for blood in the night.

Still, it's the howl that has always

intrigued Jim Brandenburg.

Well, of all the sounds of nature

I really believe that the

wolf howl is the most evocative

and the most mysterious.

I believe also that wolves have

possibly gotten their bad reputation

because of the howl.

To the wolves,

howling is a very important part of

communication their community spirit.

It's sort of like the glue that

holds the family together.

I'd never been able to watch

wild wolves while they were howling.

So! Wanted to look at howling very

closely in all of its forms.

It's especially nice to be able to

watch them while they're doing it.

You can't do that down in the

forested areas but...

That Alpha Male, to me, has the most

distinctive voice for his...

Halfway through the howl he

changes an octave.

Wish I knew what it all meant though,

you know, just like a lot of

the sounds they make.

Um, you know that half bark.

There's a half bark that goes.

Yeah, that's perfect. Yeah.

You know I sneezed today and the

wolves all looked up.

And I was reminded that that probably

means to them there's danger coming.

They didn't know if one of the

wolves did it or...

Yeah.

Then they realized it was me.

It's that staccato kind of a sound.

The mid-back, the one

that's really dominant,

came over to the pups

and they all ran up to it,

And they started mobbing

her like they do,

and she was kind of upset

in the process.

And she kind of barked at em.

And it was just a half bark,

but instantly both Mom and Shaggy

ran right up to her with tail

between their legs and their rump

was down and completely submissive.

It was a wonderful display,

but it was all provoked

by that one half bark.

So, you know, I wish we could

understand these things more.

But it's sure intriguing

to watch them all.

There are equally intriguing topics,

such as the behavior of the pups.

As they've grown,

their play has become more boisterous.

The pups play for hours on end.

It gives them exercise,

allows them to develop muscle tone,

and to practice various behavior

patterns that they'll use for the

rest of their lives like running,

pouncing, stalking,

and even submitting to each other.

Competing for food is a very

important part of every wolf's life

even amongst litter mates.

A pup grabs a feather and tries

to hold onto it as long as he can.

This is similar to grabbing a piece

of food and holding it.

In this respect learning tug-of-w*r

becomes very important.

Today it's a feather,

tomorrow it's a whole bird.

Now six weeks old, the pups have

developed an urge to wander.

Their cautious parents attempt to

control their exuberance.

Pups sometimes roam as far as

half a mile from the den,

but they are easily found

and disciplined.

The young face little danger since

there are no large predators around,

such as the birds of prey that hunt

young wolves elsewhere in the world.

Still, the parents keep

the pups in line,

carefully maintaining the

pecking order or

"dominance hierarchy" of the pack.

Mech is now investigating several

areas of behavior,

including the pups development

and the reasons for

the wolf's notorious howl.

When a pack wakes up

they may begin to howl,

and even the pups attempt to join in.

In the silence of the Arctic,

the sound travels long distances.

To other wolves it means "stay away",

"keep off our turf..."

The pack is fiercely territorial.

Brandenburg noticed that the chorus

often preceded a hunt,

a useful cue for him

to get ready to film.

It seems an unkind trick of nature

that the arctic hares of

Ellesmere keep their white coats

in the summer.

Easy to spot, they are a favorite

and nutritious food for wolves.

Although a hare can weigh eight pounds

a wolf can down two in one day.

The hares must rely on their

agility and speed to escape.

They can run and stand on

their hind legs,

which enables them to

spot danger from a distance.

Unlike their parents,

young hares blend in

with the environment and stay perfectly

still when wolves are nearby.

Among the most impressive beasts of

the high Arctic are the

musk oxen shaggy wanderers that

graze in the wilderness

a great challenge to the wolves.

How far off would you say that is,

Dave?

Oh, I'd guess a mile.

Close to a mile.

That's what I would say.

Well, I see at least five musk oxen.

They must have journeyed up from

the valley below.

I don't know if they're trying to

unnerve the musk oxen...

Those animals can't eat now while

they're all grouped up like that.

I wonder if there's a calf in there?

There must be a calf

in there somewhere.

Yeah, there is a calf,

right in the middle there.

That's why they're so interested.

A standing circle of musk oxen

present a formidable defense.

But it's part of the nature

of wolves to att*ck and

k*ll animals larger than themselves.

It's a skill that Mech and

Brandenburg are eager to document.

Yeah, that male, that male wolf

is heading away.

Looks like they've lost interest, huh?

He's going right by them.

Yeah, they're probably going back

to the den.

That's very defensible position

those musk oxen are in.

Maybe if there were more wolves.

This is a usual situation if

they don't make a k*ll.

The difficulties of filming a hunt

begin to present Brandenburg

with as much of a challenge as the

wolves face in their quest for food.

In the perpetual light of summer,

the Arctic can become

surprisingly warm.

On these July days,

huddling is no longer vital

for the comfort of the pups,

now two months old.

As summer races on,

the heart of Ellesmere's tundra

blossoms briefly.

Long-tailed jaegers raise

their chicks among the

dwarf willow and mosses.

Wolves often pass close to the nest

on the ground but rarely

take advantage of the easy prey.

They jaegers, nevertheless,

are wary of both wolves and people.

The wolves appear

surprisingly indifferent

to these aggressive summer visitors.

They seem unwilling to

compromise their dignity

in battle with the jaegers.

They'll save their energy for

catching a young musk ox.

Both the jaegers and the wolves have

an eye on the human visitors,

who've stopped for lunch.

As we lay there watching the wolves

they'd often come up and check us out.

Of course, it was tempting to give

them a little bit of our lunch

and they welcomed any tidbit

that they could find.

This helped develop a rapport between

them and us that was very

useful to our being able to

observe them close up.

It's a remarkable moment

an encounter between bird,

wolf, and man.

Still, the boldness of the wolves

created some anxiety.

Camping out right in the wolves back

yard created a situation

where I had the feeling at any time

the wolves could have gone

in and really torn the camp apart.

Because if they see something

within their territory

that's like a toy, a plaything

they grab it and run around,

tease each other with it.

And, of course, they seem to have a

little more confidence.

And I think at times they felt

we were intruding

and they could do pretty much

what they wanted.

At times it pays to "speak wolf".

Every day, Jim Brandenburg is

listening as well as watching,

trying to anticipate the moment

when the pack will set off to

track down a musk ox herd.

This particular day they woke up and

predictably after a long sleep,

woke up with lots of excitement.

And I sensed very strongly that

something big was about to happen.

Some days they would leave the den

site and kind of wander

casually and be gone for

a couple hours and come right back.

But this particular day they took off

in a straight line towards the east,

single file, a very quick pace,

the kind of pace that even with the

advantage of machines

it was very difficult to keep up.

The rough ground is no obstacle

for an arctic wolf.

Each travels purposefully.

The pack has spread out but keeps in

touch by howling from time to time.

While the wolves are within

range of the den,

their howls are heard by the pups

and the female that watches over them.

Brandenburg, loaded with film

stock and rations,

is prepared to travel for days

to film a major hunt.

One of the advantages of working in

the high Arctic that you don't find

in lower latitudes is you have

Here the wolves could never really

get away from us and in the sense

that they were always on stage with

the lights full on.

And if we could simply keep up

with them, and had enough time,

eventually that scene could be

played out in front of us.

There are anxious moments when the

wolves are far ahead, out of sight.

Brandenburg has only their tracks

and his intuition to follow.

The wolves have traveled 30 miles

from the den, and Jim is still behind.

Finally, he catches up to the pack

as they search for a place to cross

a deep, fast-flowing river.

Again, his hopes of filming an att*ck

on musk oxen are crushed.

It was quite a frustrating experience

watching the wolves continue

on in the distance out of sight,

knowing that they were clearly going

on to some fairly intense action.

With summer running out,

Mech and Brandenburg decide

that a change in plan is imperative.

Rather than follow the pack,

they'll sit tight,

following all that happens right here

for the next 24 hours.

It made sense to commit a complete

Watch everything that happened,

try to film the highlights

of the behavior.

And I'd hoped to show an aspect of

a day in the life of the wolf pack,

near the den site,

their coming and going,

their interaction, their naps,

their sleeps.

Anything that might happen within

that 24 hour period.

Here comes one.

He's go hind feet

or she does, it's a female.

It's interesting,

usually they bring just the

hind quarter back, or often they do.

But I mean I've never seen them bring

the front quarters.

They may bring the whole hare.

The strategy begins to pay off

almost at once.

A small drama of pack life unfolds

within camera range

another demonstration of the way

a wolf's behavior indicates

its rank in the family unit.

It appear that as part of their

membership in the pack,

the subordinates have to bring food

home to the pups each day.

This probably helps maintain their

status in the pack.

Even when hungry themselves

the subordinates

still will deliver food to the pups.

It seems that the dominant wolves

need to show their subordinates that,

even though the underlings

have brought offerings of food,

they must not forget who's boss.

As I watched them closely,

I noticed that from time to time

subordinates would actually

steal food from the pups.

Most are young animals that are still

learning how to hunt themselves

so this surplus food forms an

important part of their diet.

Wish I knew which male that was.

I think it's the one that limps.

Left shoulder's the one

that's limping, though.

He's got a little limp

in his left hind leg

today as well as his left front.

Telling each of the pack members

apart was always a challenge

and a difficult thing to do.

However, we were aided by the fact

that the Alpha Male usually

dominated the other

members of the pack.

And in doing so held

his tail in the air.

To keep track of individual wolves.

Mech uses names like Shaggy,

Scruffy, and Lone Ranger.

His observations show him that the

Alpha Male has another

recognition signal besides

tail waiving.

The Alpha Male was also

distinctive in that

he raised his leg when he urinated.

The Alpha Female does that as well.

This raised-leg urination is

a way of bonding

the two together in a sexual tie.

That tie is recognized by all the

other members of the pack.

It's quite warm today on

Ellesmere Island,

and the wolves,

with their shaggy coats,

may need some way of cooling

down in the bright sunlight.

Below the surface of the

tundra lies cooler soil.

The animals have little trouble

reaching it.

The softest spots are the

heathery hillsides.

I've actually watched wolves

sleep there for

as long as 18 hours at a time.

There's not much happening.

Jim, I think I'm gonna run a little

test while the light it

about the same and the wind,

And I'm also in the same position.

I'm gonna run down,

get out of sight and howl.

And I'll go quite a ways.

I'm gonna imitate a strange

wolf that's scared.

Sound good.

Yeah. I'll record what time it was

when I howled so if you get

a response here you record the time

that you get the response.

Yeah. Yeah. See you later.

Thanks. I'll see you later.

Eventually, Dave's imitations seem

to have another effect.

The pack is drawing together,

though there may be some other

cause for the excitement.

Two of the pack are waving their

tails as signals of leadership,

telling the others that

they are in charge.

Mech, however,

has seen nothing of this.

So what happened?

Soon as you howled they listened,

but no one moved.

And it was a very casual

kind of response.

What, these other two came back...

Yeah, it was the Alpha Male

and Midback came back...

OK.

With their tails up really high.

Clearly an expression of

"we're in charge'.

They had a fight down on the draw here

With one of the other females?

Couldn't see them.

Then they ran up on the hillside here

and there was a mass of wolves.

It was difficult to sort it out.

They were pinning each other.

They were growling, biting,

tails in the air.

A mass and a swirl,

a swirling of wolves right out

here in the green, green area.

And it's hard to say what...

Did the pups get in on

any of that stuff?

A little.

They were following around

but it was the big kids.

The 24 hour vigil is paying off.

Despite some long periods

of inactivity,

there is also some intriguing behavior

Another arctic hare has been brought

in for the pups,

their second of the day.

At 10 weeks old, the young wolves

are highly competitive.

When a pup is lucky enough to get a

large piece of prey

he has to run as far away as

he can to avoid having

it stolen by his litter mates.

At this point I get the impression

that no one pup dominates

the others and that all tend to get

their share of the food.

When a large chunk of meat is brought

in by a subordinate,

The Alpha pair are the first to try

and steal it.

But a tug of w*r develops that allows

each member of the pack

to get a portion of the food.

The hare was caught nearby.

When prey is k*lled too far away to

be brought back in an animal's jaws,

There is an alternative

"catch-and-carry system".

As pups are weaned from nursing

more and more of their food comes

from regurgitation by the adults.

The adults feed perhaps

miles from the pups,

carry the food in their stomach

and bring it back to the den.

As an adult approaches with a full

stomach it's really exciting

to watch the pups mob it,

Particularly licking around

their mouths.

And this triggers the adult to

regurgitate to them.

Several weeks of watching it at a

distance was quite frustrating.

I had always hoped to be at

close hand while that happened

because it was a very important

part of behavior to film.

The 24-hour watch gave an opportunity

to see this happen close at hand.

The Alpha Female brought back a

nice meal for the puppies.

She for some reason chose not to do

it to my back this time.

She unloaded her precious cargo right

in front of the camera.

And the pups quickly gobbled it up.

Remaining alert throughout the

But the plan's success

makes it worthwhile.

Brandenburg can finally rest,

but his dream of photographing

a musk ox hunt is not forgotten.

During Mech's turn on watch,

the wolves grow curious.

From the start,

Mom was the friendliest

and most tolerant of the group.

This visit from her is a

sign of the increasing trust

and rapport between wolf and man.

Curiosity satisfied for the time being

she sets off across the valley,

Leaving behind two very

contented observers.

Before this visit to Elsmere,

the closest Dave Mech

had managed to come to a

wild wolf was 15 feet.

Now a wolf has come to him,

and these 24 hours have been

the most productive in his career.

As the wolves bed down and

the team's vigil finally ends,

Mech decides on his next move to take

advantage of this rare situation.

I really wanted to see just how close

I could get to the pups.

If I could get close enough

I could identify each one

individually perhaps.

Or at least find a way of

marking them so that I could.

And that would allow me then to see

if there's any particular

individual who was more aggressive

than the others,

or got more food, or perhaps was

more exploratory.

But all this would require

that I get close to them.

I also wanted to see just how Mom

would regard me

when I was that close to her pups.

It's three a.m. on a sunny

but chilly night.

For whatever reason, Mom began to

howl and the pups joined in.

I would have loved to have

joined them as well,

But being so close to the den I

thought perhaps my howl

would have upset the entire pack.

Nevertheless, I couldn't resist at

least going through the motions.

When he first arrived on Ellesmere,

Mech could not be sure

that the would ever get this close

to the arctic wolves.

But the short summer season

is almost over.

The men still dream of following the

pack on a major hunt

before the arrival of winter.

Time was running out,

and I knew this hunt

sequence was crucial to the

success of the film.

In some ways the longer I waited

the better the chances got.

As the pups get older they require

more and more food.

And the pack becomes more and more

intent upon finding that food.

The weather was right,

we were well rested,

the wolves were very intent,

so this particular day all the

signals were right.

I had my own reason for wanting to

watch a k*ll up close.

In the past I've seen several

from aircraft.

But each time it was only a swarm of

wolves massing around the prey animal.

With the Ellesmere pack I may well be

able to tell the role of

each particular wolf in the entire

hunting and k*lling process.

Catching a musk ox is not an easy job

and the wolves must be careful

and still avoid their

hooves and their horns.

But when he wolves get close,

the musk oxen must stop,

group together, and face them.

They continue to harass the musk oxen

until one begins to run.

When a herd panics it gives the

wolves a chance to att*ck

without so much fear of being injured.

Both predator and prey have to

rest frequently

and skirmishes like this may

go on for hours.

If the herd is healthy a few such

skirmished will tell the wolves

that it's time to give up

and go on to others.

The pack rested for 45 minutes

and then took off

for another five-mile jaunt.

We knew right away that the next

encounter would be an interesting one.

This herd had at least three calves.

And it is the calves that the wolves

seek out during the summer.

I could see that it was the Alpha pair

that led the charge down to the herd.

One of the more interesting aspects

was to see the different

personalities of the wolves.

How I got to know them back at the

den was one group of wolves,

and what I saw in front of me seemed

to be a different group of wolves.

They truly became k*lling machines.

The wolves separated out

a calf from the herd

and the calf's mother decided to

go on in the safety of the group.

It's hard to know where to look

cause the rest of the pack tried

to separate out a second calf.

Meanwhile back with the first calf

the Alpha Male clings to a hind leg.

Even with the whole pack on its head

it took about five minutes

for the calf to go down.

For three tense hours

on the tundra plain,

Dave and Jim witness a scene

older than mankind.

The Alpha pair takes

possession of the carcass,

even though the whole pack

was in on the k*ll.

The wolf depends on meat

for its survival.

Its ability to catch,

k*ll and rapidly digest

its prey has been honed over

millions of years.

But this behavior after the k*ll

was new to the photographer

and even to the biologist,

Who had seen it elsewhere but was

still surprised by its intensity.

What seems to be going on is that

these subordinate animals

are food begging just as

they did as pups.

Although this was a

strong scene to watch,

I was jubilant to have seen

it close up.

And to have been able to confirm the

dominant role of the Alpha animals.

The wolves consume

as much as they can

but the calf is large,

and there's meat left over.

Chunks are carried off to be buried

in the icy ground,

a natural form of cold storage.

The wolves may return for the food

when hunting is poor

and the pups are hungry.

Their stomachs full of food

to be regurgitated for the pups,

the wolves are ready to begin the

trek back to the den.

They've suffered some injuries,

but all five are strong

enough to make the journey.

By September the pups

have grown considerably,

thanks to successful hunting

during the summer.

They'll need stamina and strength to

make it through the coming season.

Already the sunshine is weakening

into the twilight

that precedes the long darkness

of polar winter.

The arctic wolves coats are now long

and thick enough to protect

them from temperatures that will

plunge far below zero.

Shrouded in snow

and continual darkness,

The adults must still hunt and

scavenge for their pups.

But no one knows

what they do in winter;

That remains an Arctic mystery,

a five-month gap in a story

that can only be continued

when the men return next year.

It is the following spring.

Mech and Brandenburg have returned to

Ellesmere to resume their work.

When I returned once again in the

spring the pack had changed.

Three members were missing

and there was a new Alpha Male,

probably one of the subordinates

that moved up into the old one's place

What happened to the old Alpha Male

I can't say,

but three wolves were found dead

in the area at the end of winter.

Getting to know the small,

cuddly puppies,

watching them grow

and seeing all the energy that

was invested in them by the adults,

knowing they going into a very

harsh winter I often wonder

what'd ever become of them,

knowing that they all can't survive.

Most of the time the wolves go off

and die in places that you'd never see

But to be able to go over

and actually touch

and feel the ribs sticking out

was a very poignant moment.

The mysteries of winter lead to more

questions in the spring.

Did these animals die of starvation,

disease, old age, or some other cause?

When and why did the change in the

social order of the pack occur?

The more I watch these wolves the

more questions come to mind.

As the pack composition changes from

year to year,

the social behavior changes,

Both in relation to each other

and to the pups.

Seeing the wolves around the den again

immediately told me that

I was in store for another summer

of good data collecting.

I was absolutely certain

there was a litter

when I saw the mother emerge begging

food from one of the subordinates.

She really can't hunt much on her own

during the first three weeks

since she must stay in the den and

keep the pups warm during this period.

In a remarkable display of tolerance,

Mon allows Brandenburg to enter

the den to view her new litter.

It was a difficult decision whether

to go into the den or not.

Once it was made it was

very satisfying to know

that they trusted me so much

at this point

that they allowed me with their young.

These pictures are courtesy of

a wild arctic wolf.

Can we return its trust,

or will we cling to our simplistic

belief that these are nothing but

vicious predators?

In the high Arctic,

man has now seen more of wolves

than ever before.

Brandenburg and Mech have

shown them to be tolerant,

resilient creatures,

bound to each other

by their complex social rules,

living and hunting together

for the sake of survival.