Living with Wolves

in forests in wilds beyond civilization one special creature has long haunted humanity the wolf has lurked in our imaginations as the very spirit of wilderness mystique and menace in 1990 filmmaker Jim dutcher set out to capture the first portrait of the hidden private life of a pack of wolves he was joined by a fellow naturalist and the two lived with a pack of untamed wolves for six years in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho [Music] Jim and Jamie Dutcher had begun as friends the story of wolves also became a story of two people drawn together by a love for wildlife [Music] the pack baked studied through far different from the demons of ancient myth rather they were animals devoted to one another capable of affection and bonds resembling those of human families through doctors films they gained fame as the Sawtooth pack ambassadors to a human world still fearful of wolves their story leads to both Hopi and hardened some wolves would survive some would know but the Sawtooth pack gave us a new understanding of wolves this is a story that may never happen again of two people living with birds what they encountered was beyond their greatest expectations [Music] [Music] in the life of a wolf pack these cold spring days are a time of celebration a remarkable event has taken place one among them a female has recently given birth in a secluded den in the forest for the rest of the pack excitement turns to play wolves adore puppies they can barely wait to meet the new litter [Music] but the mother keeps her young hidden from all intruders even her own pack [Music] she will do anything to protect them for filmmakers Jim and Jamie Dutcher the moment has come for a test of the trust they've worked to gain during years spent living with this untamed pack of wolves with the mother watching Jamie we'll try to crawl down into the den something perhaps never attempted before with animals long dreaded as ferocious predators I really wanted to check on the health of the pups I had spent a long time with the mother but I couldn't be sure she wouldn't attack me I tried to read her body language it seemed to me that she'd left the den so I could take a peek I sure hope that was right a moment of trust seems about to unfold between two species long regarded as mortal enemies [Music] it is the culmination of a project whose first seeds were sown not in Idaho but in the mountains of Wyoming some 40 years earlier [Music] the ABS circum ount ins just south of Yellowstone National Park at the edge of this vast expanse of wilderness young Jim Dutcher's spent summers working as a Wrangler on a ranch back then I was a teenager with a dream summer job in a chance to play cowboy my responsibilities were to take care of the horses I would take them out in the evening and gather them up in the morning driving them back to the ranch for a boy from Florida the back country of the ranch seemed a mountain paradise with trout filled lakes forests roamed by Grizzlies and moose a place where wild encounters were possible [Music] one day while searching for stray horses Jim came upon something he would never forget in an opening ahead to the gray wolf it didn't seem threatening just curious I'm afraid I didn't know enough about wolves to be aware of it at the time but had actually seen something incredibly rare as Jim began making films the wolf and Wyoming remained a distant memory until another event changed his life it was some 30 years later and I was looking for a new film idea when I saw another wolf ironically at the same ranch like the earlier wolf that posed no threat it even seemed timid leading Jim to wonder if wolves were really bloodthirsty killers he imagined making a film about the true nature of wolves only to learn that they are so wary of people almost nothing of their private lives had ever been filmed and they were disappearing by 1990 only about 50 wild wolves were left in the entire American West two million had been exterminated to protect livestock the surviving wolves spent their lives in fear avoiding humans [Music] even from the air spotting wolves was nearly impossible to film them closely he needed a novel strategy he had an idea that it required just the right place [Music] after almost a year of exploring he found the perfect site on Forest Service land below Idaho's Sawtooth Mountains he secured a special use permit and the wolf project was born he would set up the world's largest wolf enclosure big enough to give a pack a sense of freedom [Applause] next Jim would try to assemble a wolf pack beginning with a sedated adult male flown in from a wolf Research Center [Music] they named him a chi Blackfoot four wise one if all went as planned he would arrive to become leader of the new path several wolf researchers gave Jen help and advice but he knows there is no guarantee that a real pack will form nothing quite like this has ever been attempted carrying a chi into wolf camp they understand the significance no wolf has lived here in 50 years every event from now on will be documented to gain new insights into wolf behavior the pack won't be is free is their wild cousins but Jim hopes they might help shed light on a species whose daily lives remain almost completely hidden from us a chi is soon joined by an adult female Jim names Makua Blackfoot for Wolf thus begins a project Jamie believes is unique among animal studies what I've always loved about the way Jim put this project together was that his goal was to listen to the wolf not as a scientist but as a social partner he learned early on that if he were to study the intimate life of an animal he would have to live with that animal in order to gain its trust living in a tent for two years Jim had earlier filmed the hidden life of a cougar capturing unprecedented footage of its behavior [Music] always present Jim was able to film a cougar mother caring for and teaching kittens and the rare vocalizations [Music] filming next in a log cabin by an Idaho pond he modified the technique building within the cabin an authentic beaver lodge [Music] the animals were free to come and go while Jim was able to film the unseen world of beavers in the privacy of their Lodge some questioned the wisdom of keeping log chewing animals in a cabin made of logs but the cabin survived and today serves at the Dutcher's production studio it now houses not wild animals but their images the world's largest close-up record of the gray wolf in still photos in miles of film and in Jamie's sound recordings the cabin also holds the record of the Dutcher's own personal story one interwoven with their mutual attraction to the natural world I first met Jim years ago on a flight from Africa I had been in Zimbabwe taking pictures and although we didn't know it at the time we both shared a love for wildlife like Jim Jamie was drawn to nature as a child her equivalent of the wilds of Wyoming were the woods behind her Maryland home she spent her spare time exploring dreaming of living in some remote place with wild animals [Music] after meeting Jim Jamie returned to Washington DC where she began a job at the National Zoo there surrounded by the exotic creatures she had always dreamed about she would work toward a career caring for ailing animals in the zoo hospital it wasn't the wilderness wasn't exploring but it was a way to have constant contact with wildlife [Music] but the man she had met on a flight from Africa began to write letters from Idaho Jim shared his hopes and fears as he grappled with the challenges of filming the natural world from afar Jamie could only imagine what it must be like living in the wilderness it was the beginning of a correspondence that would last for seven years Friday June 28 dear Jamie it's early morning at Wolfe camp the weather is clear and cold in a low 30s last night and the mountains behind Camp look spectacular earlier as we made a fire a lone wolf was howling along with the two adults my crew and I are also raising four wolf puppies it's exhausting feeding them around the clock but they're doing incredibly well for Jim it's a time of wonder and worry can he really assemble a wolf pack what might the future hold as tiny pups leave the nursery and grow into one of the animal kingdom's most powerful forces a pack of wolves by 12 weeks the pups at the Dutcher Wolf's camp display distinct personalities one named Lakota is very shy while his look-alike brother comets is the most alert and curious of the litter it seems to Jim that little commands has the confidence and spirit of a natural leader as the week's pass Jim notices that comets is becoming increasingly dominant taking charge over a deer leg to drive away his siblings since adult wolves generally welcome pups into a pack no one expects a problem when it's time to introduce them to a chi in the cuy but there's a surprise one that reveals the true complexity of wolf behavior the pups can barely contain their excitement Jim hopes the two adults will pair up and become foster parents but as the pups found in the adult female Makua slips away silently akai the adult male asserts himself and tries to impose some order but Makua to Jim's amazement and concern wants no part of the pups she disappears Makua remains hidden somewhere in the woods as days go by Jim and his crew set out to find her concerned she won't get enough to eat [Music] she is so determined to stay hidden it takes three days to spot her Jim can see she's okay for now but he's baffled why is she avoiding the others bucko he remains absent for weeks well the new pack is developing a hierarchy but here two wolf behavior is proving extremely complicated the drama unfolds whenever Jim delivers a roadkill carcass surprisingly it is not the adult akai who dominates with young comments the stability of a wolf type depends on a single leader called the alpha male Jim begins to realize that it's not a matter of age or size but something innate that drives one wolf to take command of all the others none of the wolves not even a chi is challenging young commands as he asserts himself like an ounce [Music] when Makua finally comes out of hiding she seems too afraid to join [Music] jimbros increasingly worried about her behavior [Music] the Rocky Mountain winter settles in burying wolf camp under a thick blanket of snow somewhere beyond Cucuy remains alone to mirror normal wolf feeding patterns Jim and his crew bring in carcasses of deer elk or antelope every five days or so wolf pups must grow quickly to survive their first hard winter in deep snow the Sawtooth young are now almost adult size food prompts excitement but Komatsu resides no one eats without his permission from afar but Kui watches [Music] she appears hungry as if she wants to join in on the meal and the plate what she doesn't increasingly worried about Makua Jim frequently takes elk meat to her their meetings are too brief for Jim who hopes to gain her trust and to discover why she has become a loner the notion of a lone wolf is largely legend a wolf normally remains solitary only for a short time Jim spends the winter trying to befriend Makua hoping to figure out why her behavior is so unusual a wolf's every impulse tells it to be part of something larger to belong to a pack its identity is completely intertwined with that of its family [Music] with each visit Jim is more convinced that Makua yearns for companionship gradually she allowed me closer as if enjoying the company of another being it was heartbreaking to think that I was her only friend but at close range Jim can see the problem at last her eyes are completely clouded over [Music] is she fearful of the new pack because she can't see them well and does she feel safer following trails up here that she is probably memorized Jim knows there is something wrong with makuu his eyes he needs the help of an expert but doesn't no one he finally realizes he knows exactly the right person to contact while Jim worries about an ailing wolf in Idaho Jamie is consumed with her work at the National Zoo in Washington DC his pulse is strong she has no idea that the medical knowledge she is gaining will have an impact beyond the zoo sure looks good she is about to hear again from the wolf man in the West Jim needs advice from someone with veterinary experience [Music] [Music] concerned about the wolves Jim also just needs to talk to a friend dear Jamie I know it's been a long time but I've got a serious problem here with an adult female wolf I'm in the yurt and she's howling so sadly outside she seems to be a loner I've been trying to explain to her to see what might be the problem I'm convinced there's something wrong with her eyes it may be cataracts have you any ideas I could really use some help [Music] it was obvious from this letter how much Jim cared about these animals I suggested that he contact a veterinary ophthalmologist to examine her eyes I knew that they had performed cataract surgery on domestic dogs I just wish I could have been there to help him taking Jamie's advice Jim finds a top animal eye surgeon and outfits wolf camp with veterinary surgical equipment he fears that carting Makua off to a hospital the deeply stress an animal already full of anxiety he turns the tent into a field hospital okay watching the surgery Jim reflects filming the natural world it is impossible to know what direction the story will take especially when the subject is an animal we know so little about [Music] the result is another surprise Makua emerges with her eyesight restored but she never fully trusts Jim in the same way neither of the two adult wolves have grown comfortable or accepted [Music] reluctantly he decides to concentrate on the yearlings and to find another home for Makua and Ducati it won't be easy giving them up but it's for the best kamat sand the other yearlings new me from the moment they opened their eyes their trust was absolute and understood I knew deep in my heart that the future of the Sawtooth pack rested with in a dark female named maitake captain Jin died in the emerging hierarchy of the yearlings maitake has been relegated to the role of omega lowest ranking member of the family [Music] at the bottom of the pecking order maitake is part scapegoat for the packs aggression in our cloud forever defusing tension by initiating play the Omega is an important member of the pack not an outcast but it's always on the bottom though motoki's role as a gesture is appreciated by the wolves her low rank is made clear at every meal come on son the others eat first maitake must always eat last sometimes as if to avoid trouble maitake wanders off alone she is less than a year old and not very savvy about dangers lurking beyond the protection of the pack [Music] when maitake fails to show up one day Jim goes looking for her what he finds is his worst nightmare the gentlest most playful member of the pack was dead who or what had done this for a moment I fear the killer might still be nearby watching me I tried to think maybe a cougar was responsible some of macaques fur had been removed something I had observed while filming a cougar and its kill [Music] I found wolf claw marks and a telltale sign some of the takis fur I think the pack found her killer in this tree and tried to claw their way up to get the Cougar that had killed their sister [Music] the death of maitake has a profound effect the rest of the Wolves seem listless mired in a deep depression through spring and into the summer they're howling takes on a mournful searching quality as if they are trying to call maitake Bennett macaques death really affected Jim deeply her loss and the mournful state of the pack was devastating after losing sweet-natured maitake Jenn wonders how he can raise the pack spirit there is one perfect way Jim decides to expand the pack and enliven it with three new pups young wolves went beyond just accepting me they bonded with me and is detached and scientific as I tried to be I bonded with in wolf camp is serenaded by New Voices [Music] [Music] as Jim begins to chronicle their emerging personalities one spirited beige male catches his eye unaware the pup will grow up to be the pack peacemaker and his favorite he names in Muncie Blackfoot her sweet and brave [Music] at 16 weeks the pups join the others instinctively they recognize the dominance of the adults and drop down submissively in their presence come on seize them on a tour their new home [Music] Jim can see a new hierarchy developing the rankings are sorted out over food kamat sprees IDEs but at times he just observes as if curious about the power struggles taking place the young wolf Jim calls motsi seems bolder than the other pups even drives away Lakota the brother of comets despite Lakotas imploring looks comics never intervenes as the second autumn passes Jim wonders if the yearlings will form the stable pack he had hoped for with a chi and the cuy one day Komatsu proach me but instead of trotting off as he usually did after greeting me he sat down next to me in a gesture I'd never seen before he raised his paw I held my hand out to meet it and we just sat there at that moment I knew everything was going to be all right I realized that the one who would stabilize the pack and make the whole project work wasn't me it was comets [Music] another winter descends imposing bitter cold the deep snow is an obstacle to filmmakers but a big white playground to wolves very thick new roads [Music] locha mots the Alpha appears to play aggressively when he inadvertently knocks a yearling over he returns as it to apologize to Jim it seemed that the confidence comets possessed in youth is blossoming into a combi never once he is more alert than the others with a look that seems to convey the intelligence and concern of a leader [Music] dear Jamie at last things are beginning to look a little bit more positive we just had our first snowstorm and the pack loved it more importantly I'm starting to see some new behavior I wish you could see how comets takes care of his pack I suppose we all have moments in our lives that are milestones I was stopped by Jim in the aisle of an airplane a brief and pleasant meeting to turn my life upside-down seven years later [Music] Jim's letters to Jamie had continued since their brief meeting letters about wolves and snowstorms wild puppies and minus 40 degree temperatures they had interests in common but a continent between them then a letter changes Jamie's life Jim asks her to come meet the wolves and see if she might like living in Idaho what can I say I was being asked to go live in an ice-cold tent on the other side of the continent it was crazy but by then I knew I loved Jim so I went in her early 30s Jamie leaves behind her Maryland home and her furry gambling that life among wolves in Idaho will be more like the life she dreamed of as a child life of wild animals and adventure as she's about to find out she has no idea how adventurous it will be [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] yesterday home for Jamie was a suburban house outside Washington DC now it is a tent surrounded by snow without electricity water or plumbing it's called a yurt a round tent traditionally used by Mongolian nomads to endure hard winters it's about 16 feet in diameter with a conical roof that withstands the weight of deep snow one room few comforts middle of nowhere but the back yard is glorious for Jamie it feels like her dream is coming true Idaho was hardly the far-off and desolate land and had once seemed I have to smile to myself thinking back on how foreign and scary it had been in my mind it immediately felt like home a beautiful home as Jim took me to meet the wolves I sensed that I was regaining something I once felt as a child in the natural world it had begun to fade from my life and so had the dream of living with wild animals now it was coming true I knew the Wolves from Jim's letters I just hoped they would accept me [Music] [Music] Jim had a special relationship with the Wolves you could see it the pack trusted him completely he never tried to approach them when they were not in a social mood and he never treated them as pets from the moment I met Jamie I just knew that she would fit in not just into the project but into my wife as well when she was introduced to the wolves she instinctively knew that everything had to be on their terms each of the Wolves wanted to meet me at once licking absolutely every inch of my face I quickly learned to keep my mouth closed during these greetings which was extremely difficult to do because the urge to burst into a smile was overwhelming Jamie notices that one wolf is shy and stays away Jim explains that the role of Omega has been forced on Lakota since the loss of maitake Jamie is drawn to the plight of this reticent and meek wolf Lakota faces the unyielding rule of his own brother the Alpha Kamat can be benevolent but he is always supreme his command over a carcass is unyielding he alone decides who will eat when and Lakota I rank must eat last Lakota tries to approach the carcass unnoticed before his turn but commands must reinforce the rules of status which ensure pack stability he refuses to let his omega brother near the food his attack is meant only as a warning an alpha rarely harmed attack me mid-ranking wolves constantly seek dominance over one another collapse is the arbiter of old disputes putting each in his place Lakota takes a new tack hoping to make himself so insignificant that no one will notice meeting he prostrates himself before Kumar's whose attention wanders perhaps Lakota can snatch a quick bite before the others see it doesn't work for weeks Jaime watches Lakota play his Omega roll she notices something not readily apparent because Lakota often remains so low to the ground the ever submissive Lakota is actually a bigger than his brother come out the Alpha Ana Wolf born with such a yielding personality ever hope to escape being the Omega the mysteries are only beginning at Wolf's camp the winter Sun slips behind the Peaks by mid-afternoon home life in a frozen wilderness comes down to the basics firewood provides the only warmth lanterns and candles the light evenings are spent as if living in a canvas cocoon surrounded outside by wolves and icy lanterns the hush of falling snow the Jim and Jamie the modern world seems far away neither can imagine wanting to be anyplace else [Music] at the end of the day they heat Creek water on the wood stove it makes possible the one luxury they permit themselves in a world so far from civilization a hot shower despite the sub-zero winter temperatures the Wolves seem as if they couldn't care less about the call [Music] exploring the Wolves noticed bubbles beneath the ice and grow frustrated when they're unable to reach them but neither ice nor snow penetrates their double layer of fur their outer coat of long hair blocks the wind and give them their particular color underneath they all have the same gray coat of woolly insulating fur coat [Music] their keen sense of smell detects things hidden in the snow not exactly big game nor a filling meal but wolves are born to hunt no matter what in contrast to the natural comfort of a wolf in winter life for Jim and Jamie is a kind of endless series of chores performed in constant finger numbing cold the roof has to be cleared frequently snow cleared from the roof has to be shoveled a simple trip for firewood means donning snowshoes and then there are the holes and roots hidden beneath the snow and the wood must still be fetched temperatures stay below zero for long periods and snowfall reaches 200 inches the Wolves watch as if greatly entertained by Jim and Jamie's attempts to cope with winter some chores like getting water for the shower are important but not essential keeping the path to the outhouse clear is essential they keep the stove going all day to warm the yurt when the fire dies at night the icy chill of winter engulfs Wolf's camp [Music] through the winter the Dutcher's rethink the design of wolf camp which leaves them quartered outside the wolves territory the old camp always had shortcomings the fence was a barrier between the wolves and us the wolves could hear us at camp but couldn't see what we were up to joining them would always alter their behavior they were that curious with the coming of spring in 1994 Jim and Jamie decide to move their living quarters inside the Wolves territory without Jamie I might not have made the move but her enthusiasm refueled the project she had a hunch that living with the wolves would improve our observations and she was right they relocate the yurt atop a platform so they will have a better view of the comings and goings of the pack [Music] the change is dramatic they are no longer living near the homes but among them they aren't intruders just part of the packs everyday surroundings the Wolves actually pay less attention to them and behave more naturally Jim and Jamie's film and photographs grow even more intimate and revealing there is however one thing missing from the project since the year of macaques death there's been no female in the family to observe the birth of a new litter would be an extraordinary opportunity to do that they will need a female three new pups are adopted - or females gender seems to matter little when it comes to their inborn mystery [Applause] [Music] caring for the little ones is a 24-hour job the crew is easier to get them out of the tent the lamps are ready to explore and the rest of the pack excited by the sound of Young Voices is impatient to meet them to seen bold and spirited while Caen and lajas while the timid black female shimmer often keeps to herself watching her brother and sister play [Music] the youngsters quickly try to act like grown-ups on the day they introduced the new pups to the pack Jim and Jamie worry about little Chinook [Music] she seems fearful of mixing with the adults chamak watches lava hot sand Oaxacan quick to integrate themselves [Music] instinct tells them to get low submit to the adults and gain acceptance but should look remains wary and keeps away the Dutcher's wonder if she might be an Omega in the making worse that she might be ostracized by the past but their fears begin to recede as weeks go by Sherlock isn't as assertive as the others but she does begin to join in play watching Jamie play with the pups I could see how gentle and caring she was how easily she had gained the packs respect and how lucky I was at that moment I did what I should have done so many years before I asked Jamie to marry [Music] with both pups as witnesses Jamie says yes she has found happiness with Jim and has regained a part of herself she nearly lost from their new vantage point inside the enclosure the Dutcher's watch a drama unfold among the three new pups one it seems has provoked the displeasure of the Alfa ordinarily the young are welcome to join the rest of the pack over a meal and that's the case with the Hawks in Oaxacan but for fearful Chinook it's a different matter the mots makes it clear that she has to wait like Lakota the Omega so much of a world social position depends on a show of confidence the Dutcher's sometimes wonder if picking on a timid wolf is a way to encourage the aggressiveness needed for survival in the wild the more assertive pups are allowed to gorge but they know they have the pleasure of their elders but Chinooks nature seems to make her a target for come on each wolf occupies a rung of the social ladder often there are two omegas a mayor and a female Jim and Jamie begin to think Chinook is destined to be the female Omega not see those baldness is a pup caught Jim's eye is now the beta wolf second-in-command and also the fact babysitter always keeping an eye on the young Massey is their caretaker and educator but there is little matzo can do about schima she will have to find her own way in the pack I wanted to be an impartial observer but Lakota the Omega touched my heart always trying to please his brother the Alpha hunched over tail tucked and Submission I began spending a lot of time documenting Lakota I noticed that although the pack always picked on him they clearly cared about him especially motsi who would stand by making sure Lakota was okay I realized there's a lot going on in the inner lives of wolves [Music] I kept trying to film Jamie and Lakota together but every time I return the camera on Lakota would become nervous and move away Jim experiments in an effort to make Lakota more comfortable [Music] he replaces the movie camera with a smaller still camera and sets up further away hoping to capture the growing bond between the Omega and James Lakota took a big risk spending time with me if the pack had caught him getting special attention they would have attacked him but sometimes we would just sit together once he took his paw and he gently placed it on my shoulder and gazed at me with those wise amber eyes of his we said that way for quite a while from that moment I was captivated by him and I knew he would forever hold a special place in my heart with the Dutcher's move into the Wolves territory the human and wolf worlds merge because Jim and Jamie are living with the pack they witnessed behavior they couldn't have seen otherwise for example the comedy routine that takes place with food between y aachen and her brother watts thinking no one is looking greedy young Oaxacan sneaks away with meat unaware while hawks is watching she quietly hides her secret stash in the bushes the hots tails her silently perhaps suspicious of her bulging belly [Music] [Music] but while hots figures out that if he waits his sister will do all the work [Music] as soon as why aachen leaves were hots dashes and meets the hidden meat from then on why Aachen has always been when she can't find her stash unaware that her brother is outwitting her [Music] some winters are cold but some are brutal the Dutcher's are consumed by daily chores and by life with the wolves half a decade will pass as a blur of seasons winter cold seems to melt suddenly into summer heat summer is quickly winter again but there is music accompanying the passage of time an ancient music of the wild sound recordists for the film's Jamie spends her spare time accumulating an archive of the packs Howells [Music] she finds that she can identify individual wolves by their unique inflections surprisingly Lakota had the most beautiful hell eyes shut and head thrown back he would just pour his heart out rich mournful lonely and sad I felt as if I were listening to him seeing the Blues giving voice to the despair of an Omega [Music] Jamie believes that wolves are so intelligent that they can communicate in complicated ways for their howls and body postures ways we don't yet understand each was an individual and personality and voice but needed to feel forever linked with his companions in the path they constantly robbed and licked one another as if to reassure themselves of this closeness even competitive wrestling was a way of reinforcing that each had a place in the pack structure that they were a united family [Music] it is at last clear to Jim and Jamie that the project is succeeding the pack is now a cohesive family most importantly the Wolves trust their human friends we had names for each but they didn't know that we didn't approach the back the Wolves came to us only if they chose to it made their friendship all the more rewarding [Music] Komatsu was in charge but he could be just as playful as the others had come to admire him immensely after years of watching them lead to be accepted by him to be worthy of his attention and maybe even affection was an overwhelming honor [Music] early on the Dutcher's learned that the Wolves rarely sleep through the night to capture the full range of pack vocalizations Jamie sets up an outside microphone wired to sound gear in her bed [Music] even when howling breaks out in the middle of the night she's ready to record [Music] [Music] wolves howl at any time day or night sometimes in response to a distant sound sometimes to check on one another [Music] Jamie believes wolves howl for more reasons than we can know often the whole pack rallies together and starts a game of tag playing in the dark unmindful the bone-chilling cold [Music] [Music] their nightly singing became as soothing as rainfall on a window an ancient sound of the earth of life itself the singing would end and the pack would settle down leaving the world silent again I would fall asleep wanting this magical life to go on forever winters in the mountains of Idaho are marathons of endurance for Jim and Jamie Dutcher the valley surrounding Wolf's camp chilled by high altitude and sweeping winds is one of the coldest spots in the United States to get warm the Dutcher's must occasionally go indoors but so little body heat escapes a wolf's thick coat but snow does not even melt on its fur they can lie completely exposed to the fury of winter no matter how severe the weather becomes Jim and Jamie are always amazed to find the pack completely unaffected sometimes the wolves curl up and sleep through the worst storms they never seek shelter in a den or under trees they seem a perfect animal for winter not only are they blase about the cold they greet fresh snow as if it's a gift from heaven some new surprise that always puts them in a mood to play [Music] two of the most fun-loving are the young female why've and her black sisters Shamokin once shy but increasingly rambunctious and assertive the Dutcher's believe that Komatsu will soon pick one to be his maid to become the alpha female and the mother of the packs first litter Jim and Jamie still feel shemagh might become an Omega unlike for Lakota but they know better than to predict wolf behavior in fact the caretaker motsi has begun to discipline Shamu siblings enabling Chinook to begin moving up and rank so far kamat seems more interested in a snow and in choosing a mate usually only two in a wolf pack will mate the alpha male and female it all sense that something important is about to happen there's an electricity in the air it may be the dead of winter but the heat of the mating season approaches as January turns to February Jaime notices a distinct change in shimmer she grows even more assertive and less timid everyone is on edge only the alphas mate but all of the wolves experience the urge to reproduce the pack remains friendly to them but Jim and Jamie sense the mood turning more serious as if the wolves know the turning point is coming welcome aughts choose the watchful Chinook with a female the Duchess believe better suited why Aachen was larger than livelier one day it is obvious the Jamie from the intensity of the pack and their vocalizations that the females have gone into heat the situation is not lost on commands [Music] [Music] [Music] suddenly commence makes his choice clear it is low shook to the Dutcher's surprise and perhaps to hers as well from that moment on she looks life that of the entire pack changes dramatically the shy female expected to become an Omega as risen instead to the role of alpha females the mate of the leader [Music] since wolves usually pair for life Chinook will reign supreme over the other females in the pack effectively becoming the queen mother of the family [Music] if her story had unfolded in the fairytale world little schmuck would be Cinderella why Aachen had seemed a likely princess now she could only watch [Music] and so the weight begins to see if the tender rituals of courtship will lead to the first pups produced by the Sawtooth pack itself in the third week of April in a hidden forest den a litter of pups is born Chinook the new mother feeds them for nearly a month in seclusion barring even the pack from visiting the denim the question is will the high-strung young female allowed Jamie to inspect her new pups ice can shoe mooks face for any trace of distress but she just looked at me curiously she would surely you've attacked anyone else but we had developed a strong trust since she was a pup herself when she left the den it seemed a sign that I was permitted entrance which really touched me there was only one way to find out if I understood her signals [Music] schumak just watched me as if she was proud to show off what she had accomplished there was no detectable odor she looked knew how to conceal her pups from predators by keeping it tidy den I could make out three little heads [Music] [Applause] [Music] the pups almost looked like little bear cubs they were endearing and inquisitive like most young and innocent animals they sniffed the air and chirped at me maybe they thought I was there to feed them [Music] I stayed less than a minute it was an honor just to get a glimpse [Music] until her pups can see clearly and walk steadily a wolf mother keeps them under her constant watch in the den food for the nursing mother who's left outside by the rest of the pack I was amazed by Chinooks display of absolute trust allowing Jaime to crawl right into her den then over the next several weeks she continued to give Jaime access to her precious litter [Music] at four weeks the pups are allowed to venture out and explore there are two females and one male all black like their mother they are the first wolves born in the Sawtooth Mountains in 50 years or more [Music] the arrival of new family members pleases all of the wolves but two in particular Massey the beta male assumes the role of caretaker and puppy sitter as he has with previous litters even keeping a closer eye on the pups than their mother does but perhaps the most inspired adult is a male named Imani always spoiling for a fight with the other mid-ranking adults he is completely gentle with the pups like an indulgent uncle he doesn't seek to be their teacher or protector only their playmate the new litter brings out the complex personalities of the wolves Imani is the first to pick on the Omega if nothing the pups can do bothers him the joy of youngsters seems to infect and enliven the entire pack but for the Dutcher's it's a time of growing concern the wolves will soon need a permanent place to live Jim invites Karla hi eagle of the Nez Perce tribe to Wolf's camp over several years Jim and the Nez Perce have discussed moving the pack to a similar situation on tribal lands when the Forest Service permit expires here now that time is approaching none of them will come to us if we ask them to hmm everything is on their terms and this is the Omega yeah and he's at the bottom of the pack where Hamas is the leader even though we have names impressed by the tribes involvement in efforts to bring wild wolves back Jim believes the Nez Perce would provide a safe future for the pack in late summer potential tragedy intensifies Jim and Jamie's concern for the welfare of the pack a major forest fire in the Sawtooths crosses a region muffler seems headed for wolf gap all the Dutcher's can do is watch and hope fortunately the fire is controlled but the engulfed in smoke in the approaching deadline on the land permit prompt the decision it is time to find a permanent and safe home for the sawtooth pattern [Music] the nez perce offered to give the packer home on their tribal lands when a permit expires for Jim and Jamie the news is bittersweet the Wolves will have a lasting home but after six years of living with them or knowing them as friends it won't be easy to say goodbye we filled those final summer days just spending as much time with the Wolves as possible hardly even filming we wanted to memorize every move they made every facial expression - imprinted forever in our minds [Music] on August 6 1996 we set out for northern Idaho carrying the pack to their new home on nest burst land it was the saddest trip that I had ever taken at its end we would be leaving not only the wolves but also the life that Jamie and I and the Wolves had created together [Music] Karla hi Eagle welcomes the pack to the tribal lands of the Nez Perce it's time to see their new home for the first time Jim and Jamie decide to let the youngest members of the pack out first so the adults would be comforted knowing the pups were freed and safe the first adult out is commands followed and turn by the rest of the pack but the Dutcher's know that the others will attack the Omega if he were to emerge ahead of them so Lakota must wait to be let out last a moment occurs with commas that symbolizes the alphas devotion to his package the Solidarity of a wolf c'mon s-- returns to the crate holding the photo gently coaxing his fearful brother to come out Komatsu that lakota would need some encouragement and he refused to lead the wolves into this new territory until this pact was complete Komatsu wouldn't leave his brother behind omega or not the pack explores with exuberance but caution until certain there are no other wolves or predators they remain silent sniffing every inch of the terrain listening to every new sound after several hours one-by-one they returned to the Dutcher's almost as if sensing at the time had come for a farewell the first was Lakota who licked us we'll miss you guys I wondered if you would ever escape the role of Omega I hoped he would [Music] then comets the steadfast leader who made our wolf project succeed and one my heartfelt respect be together but I will never forget you and mozzie who touched me deeply the packs caretaker and peace maker didn't miss you not see the one who looked after the young and often defended for Lakota you're gonna be alright in this new place they had been our life and our close companions but in the end they were a walk back they had their own family a good family [Music] would they remember us would they adapt to this unfamiliar place [Music] [Applause] [Music] in wooded backcountry of northern Idaho on tribal lands of the Nez Perce season's pass for a Wolfpack unaccompanied for the first time by Jim and Jamie Dutcher but the tribe sends news all or well and there has been a big shift in the hierarchy with the help of not see the peacemakers Lakota has finally escaped the role of Omega replaced by another adult from afar the Dutcher's can only imagine the coded beliefs [Music] to give the pack ample time to grow accustomed to life on their own Jim and Jamie stay away but after nearly a year the urge to see them and to check on their well-being can no longer be resisted but how will the Wolves now feel about them we were very nervous how the pack might react to us we were afraid they might think of us as strangers their fears resolved in a marathon of liquor [Music] like and what it was wonderful to see them again even after all this time the wolves still welcomed us [Music] [Music] their precious sense of trust between us was still there and so is their affection I couldn't voice my feelings but they could [Music] [Music] the Dutcher's have long hoped for the return of wild wolves conviction deepened by the years spent with the Sawtooth back east of their idaho home they Trek deep into Yellowstone National Park in an attempt to restore a native predator here 30 wolves were reintroduced to the park in the mid-1990s their numbers have grown to more than 200 and researchers are finding their presence beneficial to the ecology of the park our hope is that the fear of wolves is fading that people are beginning to know them as caring animals devoted to their families animals that deserve the chance to survive we believe the Wolves of the Sawtooth pack were the forerunners of their wild cousins opening people's eyes serving as ambassadors from their kind to ours [Music] wolves live only about seven to ten years in time members of the Sawtooth pack begin to disappear when word reached me that Komatsu died I was devastated I don't believe I'll ever forget that moment he was such a friend for three weeks after his death a single wolf was heard howling in the night I wonder if it was his brother Lakota as time passed we lost more of the back Lakota my dear friend motsi and we knew we would have to say farewell to all of them we hope they made a difference that their story helped their kind on an autumn day Jim and Jamie set out on a mission of the heart one they have long avoided they head down the trail to the old site of Wolfe camp [Music] [Music] there is no trace left of the camp the trails are overgrown for the wolves once ran [Music] the hardest thing is returning to wolf camp for the longest time we couldn't even do it as they near the old site of the yurt Jaime are a more of a surprise Luke here Luca Jason finds a wolf track the Sawtooth pack has been gone for years the track has to be that of a wild wolf passing through here in the past few days by the size of the print a large male it means that wild wolves are back in the wilderness of Idaho for the first time in 50 years for Jim and Jamie this roaming wolf provides a poignant close to the story of the Sawtooth Packer they know the rules often travel great distances following the scent words this one had probably dispersed from a reintroduced back up north and was traveling south to find a mate and start a new family I wonder how the wolf responded when he picked up the fading traces of the sawtooth pack did he look around in silence wary of encroaching on their territory or did he howl in hopes of joining them perhaps he felt more comfortable assured by the scent of distant kin that this was wolf country I like to think that was the case that here were we once lived with wolves he felt like he belonged [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music]

Channel: SaveONWildlife

Views: 3,911,045

Rating: 4.7049422 out of 5

Keywords: living, with, wolves, idaho, wildlife, nature, wolf, valley, outdoors, room

Id: zd3d-9fvp7g

Length: 95min 4sec (5704 seconds)

Published: Wed Jul 20 2011

Reddit Comments

[u/kaanapalikid]

Highly recommend checking out Paul Nicklen’s Instagram page.. his work with the wolves is stunning!

[u/falconx50]

I don't know what the fuck people are commenting about. I've actually watched this doc and it was very nice. Nobody dies. The wolves don't eat livestock or people in this. Yeah their study is altered because they raise the wolves part of their lives but still it is a great way to look at how wolves interact if you know nothing of the animal.

[u/[deleted]]

[removed]

[u/MoreDblRainbows]

No thank you, I saw Grizzly Man and have shed enough tears.

[u/f3l1x]

I saw another group doing something like this in a more recent PBS special. But it was in captivity (large reserve) They made some same points. But they also were realistic about the differences between wolves and dogs.

Long story short, the people caring for the wolves said they have to be very careful not to enter the enclosures while sick or hurt.

They also went into the differences of wolves “experience phase” from dogs. This phase is a short window while a puppy that basically sets in place what is “normal” for the animal. For wolves, this phase occurs while they are deaf and blind as puppies. They only have a sense of smell. So not much of what they see and hear is “normal” to a wolf. They learn to tolerate things, but it’s never innately normal.

In dogs, it lasts a little longer and covers the time they can also see and hear. So more things are covered under “normal” innately for dogs.

Edit: fixed some autocorrection things.. probably not all of them though

Edit 2: this is the series. episode 2 somewhere. its on prime.

https://www.amazon.com/NOVA-Inside-Animal-Minds/dp/B00JL8D5DG

[u/Frankjunior2]

The bane of helpless live stock is the bulbous headed naked ape.

[u/Bibberdibibs]

Wolves in an enclosure which are fed carcasses by humans and puppies raised by hand are not what I would call 'wild and untamed in a natural habitat'.

[u/[deleted]]

Isn't this the one with outdated terms for pack social structure?

[u/ShitpostingSalamence]

I saw this a while ago, quality watch