ALONE WITH WOLVES / Real Siberia

[Music] [Music] I still can't believe that after all this time my dream has come true that I along with a good friend am flying off to pooter on a plateau [Music] ever since I was a child I have dreamt of visiting this magical land and coming upon those mysterious animals people call bloodthirsty killers my heart I don't believe the stories about them and I was desperate to prove that these myths as they seemed to me were unfounded why the puter on a plateau this unfamiliar land about which we know so little clearly there are more accessible places in Siberia to find such creatures however it is only here on pou Tirana that they are so unacquainted with man and his cunning nature this proved the crucial factor in choosing the right place will we get lucky and manage in the chaos of the mountains and the incredible architecture of the valleys and rocks to find these dangerous beasts and to befriend them we have no idea at the moment [Music] [Music] finally we have landed a world covered by snow this will be our home for the next nine months as there is nobody else around for hundreds of kilometres everything will depend on us alone our knowledge experience and skills emergency help will not be forthcoming [Music] I'll take it this is it now we are alone can it be true that I'm about to live out my old dream with you or perhaps this is really a dream from which I will soon awaken we are not novices in wandering around the north and we know only too well what it means to spend winter in the taiga without reliable shelter that is why last summer when preparing for our future expedition we built a small house in the heart of the puter on a plateau right next to Lake I and most importantly the house has to be in a good condition the freezing cold here is nothing to joke about [Music] fortunately for us bears and Wolverines the local bandits have passed by the house without demolishing it which often happens with hunters lodges in the Siberian taiga finding our winter dwelling to be in good order we hurry to complete our domestic chores and retreat from the impending cold into our wooden lair [Music] [Music] spiritual [Music] fourth of March 10:00 a.m. it is minus 40 degrees outside on our first day we were visited by neighbors and how glad we were to see them Siberian Jays were the first to show up every morning they delight us with their loud voices and are rewarded with generous edible tips their singing is similar to a parent's tweet although the surrounding world doesn't remind us of the tropics and here is our second neighbor it is not so amiable a nimble stoat lodges unglamorous Li beneath our house and carefully regulates the contents of the rubbish bin we don't enjoy all of his activities especially at night nevertheless it wouldn't be right to kick the scamp out for such small tricks we spent two days organizing our household all the domestic chores are finished and now we're ready to explore the surrounding environment to learn more about what lives here and to find out if there are indeed any wolves at all perhaps we've settled here for nothing [Music] [Applause] [Music] the surrounding region is totally unfamiliar to us to begin with we decide to explore the territory around the house at least the trails will help us develop an initial impression of the place [Music] as we set off the fluffy snow becomes a trusted ally on its surface lie the footprints of all the local inhabitants ptarmigans architec foxes hares these Arctic residents are perfectly camouflaged in this kingdom of snow their white color gives them the greater chance of survival against this white backdrop they are only noticeable when they move standing motionless they disappear from view [Music] Sudama partial stolen over their partial material Walter [Applause] the wolf's footprints are fresh and are located not far from the house this means we didn't make a mistake in choosing this place as our base there are wolves here and now we have to find them without becoming their prey all right doesn't show duck inspired by a findings we decide to climb the nearest hill to observe the world around us from above it would seem that now with the tiger bear and everything exposed it should be easy to spot the wolves against the white backdrop already quite tired we try to distinguish any movement whatsoever Stacey Polster school with addition here waiting but around us there is nothing but a white stillness now as the snowy Valley stretches out before our eyes we are able to comprehend the enormity of the territory in which the Wolves live and hunt it will be hard to explore it thoroughly and especially difficult to find the wolves and their dens however we just have to accept this fact and begin investigating this frozen world one step at a time the Wolverine is a sneaky persistent and strong predator it does not hibernate and instead wanders around the taiga in winter in search of food if a hunter's winter hut happens to be in its way a Wolverine will muster up all its strength to climb inside and destroy it the animal is widely found on pooter on a plateau and has almost no enemies [Music] 20th of March two weeks have passed since we settled in the valley [Music] [Music] it's nicer when it does it will chew it nothing has attacked us and torn us to shreds nor pursued us the Wolves haven't been demonstrating any signs of aggression for this reason we refuse to carry a rifle with us as it would be nothing more than a deadweight meanwhile we've seen many wolf footprints and territorial marks and several times we've heard their discordant towns it would seem that not only a couple but a whole pack of wolves perhaps five or six in number live in our immediate vicinity whether we've yet to catch a glimpse of them but not - lady it's great luck to discover a Wolf's den the tiger now will definitely come face to face with the wolves in order to avoid disturbing the creatures we decide to forget about this route to the den for the next two months especially given that the ice makes it fairly dangerous to walk along we'll wait until the end of May when the Wolves give birth to Cubs it's now April and the reindeer migration season is fast approaching we are preparing ourselves to meet them and there's no better place to watch the reindeer than the northernmost tip of Lake ayan here the lake turns into a bottleneck forming a narrow thoroughfare along which the reindeer will no doubt travel [Music] open ah aleni saladin it's a youth in early April a primordial instinct leads reindeer to leave their winter pasture lands in heaven Kia and start traveling northwards and we are lucky enough to observe the group in the vanguard with around 300 Trailblazers slowly walking over the lake they are only the first of thousands in this migration which will serve as the Valley's most beautiful spectacle from now until the end of May presently only females and youngsters are on the move whilst the males remain in the South they will be the last to travel this journey as the reindeer arrived in the valley migratory wolves also appear in contrast to resident wills these animals lead nomadic lives effectively trailing the reindeer as they migrate they are usually solitary animals as they enter territory patrolled and occupied by local resident wolves they are timid and move carefully and stealthily as such it's clear we will not be able to make contact with them [Music] valera walk asleep opposite our house around 200 meters away we glimpse a couple of wolves a male and a pregnant female walking leisurely along their relaxed behavior suggests that they are a local couple it was probably these wolves footprints that we discovered on our first day in the valley the wolves sniffed around marked their territory searched for mice and occasionally looked our way it was a demonstration of their evident fearlessness and our first face-to-face meeting with them is this possibly the first step towards a future friendship we were full of hope [Music] spring in putter Anna brings frequent stormy weather severe snowstorms don't frighten us as we are sitting in warmth and comfort however they pose a huge challenge to wild animals sometimes even resulting in death predators use such weather conditions to hunt most of all he did was moderate the snowstorm only calmed down three days later and life in the valley resumed again as if from a clean slate in the valleys narrowest region lie the remains of a savaged reindeer we don't approach it instead we construct a primitive hiding place and start observing in the hope that the hunter will return to finish off his feast the first to appear is a Wolverine acting somewhat strangely it approaches the reindeer extremely cautiously dodging glancing around clearly frightened instead of feasting on the carcass the Wolverine tears off the reindeers leg like a true professional its movement is precise perfect and the leg is broken off almost immediately and just in the nick of time - in the distance a new actor appears on the scene and the Wolverine rapidly disappears into the forest with the reindeers leg when you steal it is foolish to display any bravado instead you always have to be on your guard in the wild that is the first rule of nature's survival code a wolf approaches the place of the reindeers demise cautiously sniffing about and glancing from side to side for some reason the wolf does not approach the carcass merely taking a piece of the reindeers hide before retreating back into the forest it's possible it caught a whiff of a strange smell and wishing to avoid any conflict decided to continue along his way it seems to be a migratory wolf and the Wolverine is therefore incredibly fortunate this means its feast will continue for several days in these parts bears usually wake from their hibernation around the beginning of May this year however owing much to the early thaw the master of the taiga has awoken in April on leaving its lair this lumbering Beast travels along the river in the hope of stumbling upon some melted fish or carrion nonetheless bears are not averse to occasionally combining their nutritional rations with some fresh meat [Music] [Music] [Music] but in order to catch a reindeer the bear has to first become a sprinter and the young are inexperienced in this oh well not a big issue things will become warm after the winter hibernation [Music] the 20th of May visible changes are underfoot in the wild particularly with the reindeers migration one can feel the increasing warmth in the air it is a signal to the male's we notice their arrival immediately the deers heads are covered with small velvety lumps these are velvet antlers young shoes which eventually develop into magnificent adult antlers however this future branching is yet to come and for now there is a distance of thousands of kilometers to travel who knows what fate has in store for these Wanderers of the north on their long journey they need to find a way of surviving before autumn arrives it is the end of May spring quickly wipes the white snow of winter from the mountains lips it has been over two months since we first attempted to establish contact with the local wolves since then we have discovered where their den is located we have also come across some migratory wolves we know that the local family consists of five wolves which we were able to spot from a distance playing on the lake one day early in the morning a wolf paid us a visit approaching the bait we had specifically placed on the opposite bank of the river our house is proximity our footprints and scent did not seem to worry him the wolf quietly ate heared a few morsels of food marked its territory and headed back towards the den it was almost certainly our old friend the wolf we saw together with the female a month ago but this time he was alone where was his mate in all likelihood this wolf couple has already had Cubs and are now tied to this one region as such it's time for us to return to their den [Music] the most exciting and long-awaited day of our expedition has arrived how will the Wolves react to our appearance will they attack us no doubt they will protect their young and then we'll be in trouble despite knowing the possible dangers ahead we nevertheless refuse to carry a rifle with us choosing instead to take only samsara and flares if we get into trouble we can climb a tree and simply wait out the danger during the nesting period female ptarmigan completely changed their feathers and are almost impossible to see in their nests the birds know this and leave the nest only when danger becomes inescapable we spend the first half of the day observing their lair there is silence all around us nothing moves the excitement overwhelms us and we decide to approach the open hole [Music] [Music] now that the den appears empty the link connecting us closer to the wolf family has been broken we need to find their other lair and fast before the Cubs grow up and leave the den we know one rule which wolves always follow they always build their homes near water as their cubs need a lot to drink and wolves are unable to transport water back and forth as such our first step is to explore the areas around the permanent rivers and lakes [Music] we have begun a new search in the territory around the located dem this is genuine wolf country we find one old one and three perfectly suitable wolf dwellings however they are all empty the session started this or that yet the hobo posture we walk further and further into the taiga in search of the lair and in so doing make some interesting discoveries that confirm the active lives of the nearby wolves everywhere around us we find wolf tracks droppings fur nord deer bones and even the remains of wolves themselves with each new discovery it becomes clearer that we are getting closer to the wolves very soon we'll find an inhabited den however our expectations remain distinct from the reality the tiger holds on tightly to its secrets [Music] [Music] the cheetah just some 100 zou Bisou Hiroshi is waste mister panetta what the 10th of July the days are flying by we continue searching new corners of the valley occasionally on examining a creek or canyon we find ourselves in areas where a Wolf's den cannot possibly be nevertheless we open up wonderful new worlds of rocks Birds and waterfalls [Music] rare and endangered birds nest here the gear Falcon is one a breed whose nests are extremely difficult for ornithology to track down they build these nests in the Bay's of steep cliffs using them for many years and abandoning them only when they begin to become uncomfortable buzzards are not so interested in comfort a rocky ledge is enough for them to build their nests constructing a perch on them in the form of sacks they continue reconstructing and adding structure to these nests each year until they fall from the cliff buzzards and gear Falcons usually position their nests on the southern side of the canyon sunlight is not an issue for these bright young chicks however for Black Raven chicks it can be deadly as a result Ravens usually build their nests in the shaded parts of the cliffs or in deep bays [Music] of course these birds fascinated us but their airborne lives were firmly hidden from view by the steep mountain cliffs therefore we spent much of our Trek absorbed by the life around the waterways every River and mountain stream here has its own waterfall each with its own unique beauty height and strength because of its unusual topography the puter on a plateau has one of the highest densities of waterfalls in the world most of them are located here on the plateau surface in the spring and summer after heavy rain the number increases a hundred times over these waterfalls are so fascinating that it is impossible to turn ones glance away from their running waters every day adds its own unique touch to their appearance like flowers in the spring they come to life grow rapidly bloom around early summer before fading in the autumn while still enchanting with their evolving beauty one can enjoy them all year round today most of the puter on a plateau is protected by the puter own scheme Nature Reserve which is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites this is one of the largest reserves in the country with an area of around 20,000 square kilometers the 5th of August the search for a new den comes to a dead end it is a mystery some of the wolf's traces remain but their owners are nowhere to be seen we sense that we may be chasing ghosts our daily roving in the taiga is proving extremely exhausting and we're ready to give up [Music] [Music] Twitter's lien [Music] [Applause] [Music] these well-trodden paths lean away from the stream and double the slope skiers with cub dropping as they deliver us to the ruin of some large rock ships ships surrounding these stones is more fresh droppings fur and bony remains everything suggests the Cubs have enjoyed a good long stay here [Music] it's Theresa docile was it a dusty first receipt rest thoroughly exploring the area we find nothing resembling an entrance to a den it is likely the Wolves left this place just days ago we have arrived too late [Music] [Music] September arrives unnoticed winter will soon dawn on the region and along with it the reindeer will return and the wolves will be set into motion our main goal to develop an acquaintance with the local wolves has not been achieved we still hope that when the reindeer return we will get lucky meanwhile charmed by the Indian summer we immerse ourselves in a forest fairy tale and enjoy the beauty and generous gifts of a golden autumn [Music] early October and snow engulfs the iron Valley ptarmigan hairs and arctic foxes are now dressed in winter coats and blend into the landscape only their trails betray their presence Nature has deprived the sable of a white coat and we spot one in the distance hunting by the river seeing us the robber grabs his prey and runs like an arrow into the woods hiding up a tree [Music] the Pooh tirana is the northernmost limit of the Sables territory as such not many of these cute little animals dwell here winter truly arrives at the end of October we are considerably tired of being alone we already want to escape this snowy prison and head straight back into urban life but it is too early to think of home as our main goal has yet to be achieved our long awaited reindeer appear at the beginning of November when the frost begins to reach below minus 30 degrees their autumn migration contrasts sharply with their spring migration now the animals move in mixed herds as a rule a herd consists of 10 to 20 females and several males among which there is a dominant bull the [ __ ] wearing the largest antlers and with a long silver beard hanging from his neck the [ __ ] constantly keeps watch over his herd and defends the females from any attempted attacks [Music] with the appearance of the reindeer our optimism returns it should be that the local wolves are stirred into action following them close behind but our joy proves premature already on the third day the migration diminishes sharply in size with the reindeer ceasing to move at all soon after this we no longer expect the wolves to appear and so call an end to our expedition [Music] we returned from our final expedition closer to home we meet our playful neighbor like a dog he shows no fear is always pleased to see us and even lets us take him by the hand evidently some wild animals are able to fully trust humans however wolves are not among them they construct well-defined barriers for themselves which they never cross under any circumstances unless by accident our wolves acted similarly making it clear that we can never develop a bond with them even if we were to settle here permanently [Music] the November day is shortened very quickly and the cold intensifies just as rapidly it is fast approaching the Arctic night a time of frost and darkness almost every night the sky above our house flashes with the glowing patterns of the Northern Lights we go outside to enjoy this Arctic festival the lights usually Sparkle with shades of green but sometimes we get lucky and witness other colors [Music] today is the 19th of November we leave tomorrow as a farewell visit we head to Lake I on welcome streets this is the end of our story my premonitions have proven correct now that we have lived alone with the wolves for almost a year I can safely claim that wolves in their natural environment will never seek contact with man let alone attack him in my mind the myth of the bloodthirsty murderers has been shattered forever frozen in motion we stopped to enjoy the enchanting song of the mountains and in that instance we all lose ourselves in contemplation but somewhere deep in our souls lies the hope that this thrilling heartfelt hell will always ring out in this mountain region and that next year the Wolves den for now empty will again be filled with the joyful barking of little wolf cubs but alas we will not be there to hear it [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] you

Channel: Василий Сарана

Views: 607,800

Rating: 4.8132968 out of 5

Keywords: Siberia, Putorana Plateau, Wildlife, Wildlife in Russia, Arctic, Tundra, Animals, Wolves, Russian wolves, Bear, Sable, Arctic fox, Stoat, Funny animals, Wild Russia, A kingdom of bears, Taiga, Travel to Russia, Hunting in Russia, Fishing in Russia, Happy people

Id: t2i-oZBjvB0

Length: 43min 6sec (2586 seconds)

Published: Fri Mar 20 2020