Stunning and so unreal! I can see how they became man's best friend. I hope they will be re-introduced back into the UK again, I know it is wishful thinking but dreams are better than nothing. I think my heart would have thudded very loudly had they come close to me.
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Snow Wolf Family & Me (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter ClarkWGriswold
- Start date
Farnboro John
Well-known member
I forgot to say: everybody in the world give up on selfies: Gordon took the ultimate one (and for the first time turned his back on Scruffy to get it!)
John
John
Totally agree with you there John.
Fozzybear
Ich bin ein Vogelbeobachter
And he didn't use one of those appalling selfie sticks to do it either.
Fantastic programmes, really great to see this side of wolves. :clap:
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Well, I'm not sure they didn't see him as one or other at different times. He took good care not to let them get behind him, and he had his director and sound man with him, so he wasn't alone. I see from the BBC website that his technical expert was Dr Dave Mech, who knows more about wolves - and in particular the Ellesmere Island ones - than any man alive, possibly ever. (I have his original book, The Wolf: Ecology of an Endangered Species - an 11th birthday present: that would make it 1974.) His advice would be invaluable.
The real gobsmacker for me was when the alpha female left him babysitting her pups while she went off to hunt, and its very difficult to interpret her behaviour any other way, because the pups were babysat constantly: Uncle Scruffy took his turn when required to. Jealous? Oh yes!
John
I think Gordon was viewed as food before anything else...:eek!:
I noticed that when the wolves was wanted to test anything they touched, they always did the gnawing with their mouths first.
It is although they are food orientated, and that is their main aim in life to be just that...think with their stomachs first
Regards
Kathy
x
Farnboro John
Well-known member
When you cut life to the basics, Kathy (and on Ellesmere Island animals are permanently on the edge) its about food and reproduction - and food powers reproduction....
A Wolf's mouth and nose provide its very short and very long range sensory capabilities. The wind brings the scent of prey from further than a Wolf can hear it - and this is an animal that can hear your heartbeat change as it approaches.... By sniffing, licking, biting, a Wolf gets scent, health assessment, taste, texture, density, food value, strength of opposition. Their paws are not clever like our hands. The Wolf bites, holds, moves things with its mouth. It can crunch bones with it, and it can mouth and carry an egg without breaking it. Its mouth is a key part of the armoury.
I agree that their first thought was that Gordon might be food. By the end of filming I honestly think they viewed him as a part of the family that made a contribution - but who knows how deep that feeling went? Fairly deep: there were no attacks on him even when the pack was having trouble obtaining substantial amounts of food. A remarkable record altogether.
John
Bananafishbones
Incoherently Rambling .....
a truly breath-taking documentary.
An interesting explanation John. Shows how wired up wolves are to stay alive.
I do think the female Wolf had a trust of Gordon with her youngsters, and that must have felt an honour to any human being.
Regards
Kathy
x
JTweedie
Well-known member
Babies do the same, of course - bringing new objects up to their mouths to taste them and see if they're edible.
Ashamed to say that I've only just watched the second half. A beautifully shot programme and Gordon is superb in it. I've only ever seen one Wolf whilst in the Canadian Rockies and this programme reminded me what an absolute privilege it was and, how lucky we were.
Rich
Rich
On again tonight on Eden if anyone hasn't seen it.
Rich
Rich
