Original subtitles

(dramatic music)

- [Narrator] There is a place in Canada's far north

where ghosts roam the vast tundra.

(wolf howls)

Arctic wolves.

This is the extraordinary story of one pack.

A story of companionship and loyalty.

Of deadly rivalries and fierce fights.

Of new lives and devoted mothers.

But food is scarce,

and wolves have to travel great distances to find it.

How will they survive in one of the toughest

places on earth?

(uplifting music)

Ellesmere Island, at the northernmost edge of Canada.

(wolf howls)

Winter here is one long freezing cold night,

(wolves howl)

where temperatures dip down to minus 50.

When the sun finally rises after four months

of darkness, its dim light provides little warmth.

Few animals are tough enough to survive here,

less than a 1,000 kilometers from the North Pole.

A young Arctic wolf, a member of the Eureka pack,

he is constantly searching for food.

(muskoxen snorting)

Life on Ellesmere is severe and unforgiving.

Predator and prey struggle equally for survival,

and both predator and prey are equally formidable.

Experience has taught this wolf

that he is no match for a herd of fully-grown muskox.

It's best to leave them alone and join the rest of the pack.

(gentle music)

The Eureka pack is finishing up

what's left of a bull muskox they killed two weeks ago.

It's late March, and the wolves

have been fortunate so far this year.

The snow was unusually deep during the winter,

which left many muskoxen weak and exhausted.

For the Eureka pack,

it means they will be well fed for a while.

(wolves snarling)

A pack is a large extended family,

with multiple generations living together.

Alpha and Snow White return.

This breeding pair head the Eureka pack.

They've experienced leaders

that've been together for many years.

The bond between them is strong,

and will last a lifetime.

Alpha and Snow White's pack is large by Arctic standards,

with 14 members.

Their sizable family is proof of their skill,

experience and dedication.

(wolves whining playfully)

Snow White and Alpha are fiercely loyal to their family.

There's a strict hierarchy within the pack.

(wolves snarling)

Older siblings rank higher than the young ones,

and if they step out of line,

they're quickly reminded of their place.

(gentle music)

Few other animals can live year-round in this frozen land.

Arctic hares are well adapted to a life of extremes.

In winter, they have to dig through the snow for food.

(snow crunches)

The muskox's fine wooly undercoat insulates them

during the freezing cold winter.

(dramatic music)

They defend themselves with their great horns

and bony plates.

(horns crash)

Aggressive and well-armed,

they are the most dangerous animals

the wolves on Ellesmere can hunt.

(gentle music)

Alpha rests.

An ear notch is his trademark.

When the Eureka pack makes a kill, they waste nothing.

At minus 40, bone is as hard as rock,

but they need the fatty, nourishing marrow inside.

(wolf sneezes)

A lone female approaches the carcass.

(gentle music)

She is taking a risk.

She must be hungry.

The lone female doesn't know how they'll react.

She catches Alpha and Snow White's attention.

She's hungry enough to risk a confrontation.

The young male at the carcass

doesn't seem to mind her presence.

(wolves munching)

But Snow White does not approve.

(intense music)

Alpha joins the chase.

Whoever this female is, the pack won't share

scarce resources with her.

The last scraps of the carcass are precious,

and they need to make it last as long as possible.

They'll have to make another kill soon.

(gentle music)

Forced to leave, this lone female

will have to start a family of her own.

Snow White and Alpha must defend their food

if the family is to survive the winter months.

(gentle music)

In this landscape, a wolf has little chance

of surviving on its own.

As the weeks go by,

winter slowly loosens its grip on the land.

Migratory birds return to the Arctic,

a sure sign that spring is here.

(birds calling)

(snow crunches)

(muskox snorts)

(fox growls)

An Arctic fox.

He searches for lemmings

that spend the winter in tunnels under the snow.

He's hunting for food that he can't see or smell,

but can only hear.

He steps quietly, and listens carefully.

(lemming squeaks)

Got one.

Lemmings are an Arctic fox's most common food,

making upwards of 85% of their diet.

He'll need to catch many more before the day is done.

(gentle music)

(animals chirrup)

The lone female wolf is out on the tundra.

All by herself, she won't be able

to hunt large prey like muskox.

But perhaps something smaller will do.

She's not nearly as graceful as an Arctic fox,

and comes away empty-handed.

She'll have to try her luck again, some other time.

For now, she has to attend to more important matters.

The lone female has been visiting this area

for the past two weeks,

preparing a den for her pups.

It's difficult to find good den sites in the Arctic,

as the permafrost limits where she can dig.

(singer vocalizing gently)

Her shallow den is hidden in a small river valley.

Here, she can keep her new pups warm, dry and out of sight.

She's all on her own,

as she waits for her mate to bring back food.

(suspenseful music)

The transition into spring is swift.

The sun no longer sets,

so there are 24 hours of daylight and warmth.

(wolf howls)

But just because the snow is melting

doesn't mean that life is any easier.

(wolf howls)

(wolves howl)

Her mate's been gone for several days.

Hungry, she calls for his return.

But howling announces her presence, which is a mistake.

(suspenseful music)

Strange wolves are approaching.

Alone, and without the protection of a larger pack,

her situation is precarious.

This is another breeding pair,

with their adult offspring.

By howling, she alerted the pack

while they were out on patrol.

Little did she know that she set up her den

in a rival pack's territory.

They close in on her scent.

They haven't found her den yet,

but they're getting dangerously close.

(dramatic music)

She acts quickly, trying to draw them away from her den.

If she fails, her pups will be killed.

At last, the raiders stop and give up the chase.

Perhaps the pups are safe.

(water splashes)

The raiders turn and head back down the valley.

Something has caught their attention.

They catch her scent again and head straight for the den.

(wolf howls)

(wolf howls)

(pups whine)

The breeding female enters first.

The young pups inside don't stand a chance.

(wolf crunching)

Raids are not uncommon between rival packs

but this is the first time one has been filmed.

(wolf howls)

The mother can do nothing to stop the raid.

She can't go closer or they will kill her, too.

(wolf howls)

There were five pups in the den.

Their deaths were swift.

(wolf howls)

(wolf howls)

It seems merciless, but the raiders

have pups of their own to care for and protect.

The only way they can keep them safe

is to eliminate any rivals.

A pack, no matter how small,

found denning in their territory,

is a potential threat.

In clashes, the family with at least one more member

normally wins the fight.

A successful brood of a new pack today

could mean the end of the raiders tomorrow.

No food is wasted.

Pups not eaten right away are cached for later.

(swelling orchestral music)

Time for the raiders to head back to their den,

20 miles away.

(wolf howls)

Hours later, the female returns.

(singer vocalizing gently)

She only dares to come back to the den

when the raiders have gone.

Maybe some of the pups survived.

The raiders could return.

She smells their presence everywhere.

(wolf sniffing)

(gentle music)

Her den is empty.

If she stays here alone in a rival pack's territory,

she's in danger.

It's time to move on.

(water gurgles)

(dramatic music)

Spring advances, and the snow continues to melt.

Snow White and Alpha are staying close to their den,

and for a good reason.

Snow White has given birth to three pups.

(gentle music)

The newest members of the Eureka pack

don't even have their eyes open yet.

It's rare to see such young pups outside.

(wolves whining)

Alpha and the rest of the family are excited.

But raising pups here is no easy task.

When times are tough,

less than half of all Arctic wolf pups

will survive their first year.

(wolves whining)

Snow White and Alpha will need the help

of the entire family if they're to succeed.

(wolf growling lightly)

There's another addition to the Eureka pack,

a new adult.

A few days ago, a lone female joined them.

Blackspot.

She has a distinct marking at the base of her tail.

Not only is she accepted by the others,

she's the only other wolf

allowed down in the den with the pups.

Has she been a former member of the pack?

With the arrival of the pups,

the need to find food takes on a new urgency.

As the matriarch of the pack,

Snow White is usually the first to be fed.

(wolves whining)

This is a large pack,

and there are some that are charged

to protect the offspring.

The pack members at the den

must rely on whatever food is brought back to them.

(wolves whining)

Begging is a regular ritual.

(wolves whining)

(gentle music)

Each wolf can bring back up to 15 pounds

of meat each trip, if the hunting is good.

By licking his mouth, Blackspot entices him

to regurgitate and finally gets a morsel.

Most of the year, the pack roams freely

in search of prey.

They can travel 25 miles a day on a hunt,

and be gone for over a week.

But during the denning season,

they must constantly return to this spot.

(water gurgles)

(hare sniffs)

Arctic hares have wandered close to the den.

Sometimes, food finds you.

(dramatic music)

A young female tries her luck.

Sprinting at almost 40 miles an hour,

hares and wolves are an even match.

Whoever stumbles first loses.

The hare outpaces the female.

But it makes a fatal mistake and runs towards the den.

(wolf growls)

It's an easy catch for Snow White.

(wolf growls)

Others aren't having as much luck.

A single hare won't go far.

Blackspot hopes at least for a small bite.

But because she has pups to feed,

Snow White claims the bulk of this meal.

She'll need the extra energy to produce milk.

Alpha ensures that she gets the main share.

Blackspot, despite spending almost all her time

with the pups, gets nothing but fur.

(wolf munches)

The other pack members have not yet realized

how important she is.

(gentle music)

In the spring sunshine,

the pups make another appearance outside.

They're only a week old, and still can't see.

The Eureka pack's den site

has more than one burrow.

Snow White seems unsure of where to put her pups.

Is she sensing something?

With most of the pack away

with Alpha on a hunt,

those remaining at the den

must be on constant alert.

Suddenly, an intruder arrives.

(dramatic music)

The intruder runs rights up on the den,

attacking all she finds.

Blackspot's help is needed.

Snow White leads the counterattack.

(wolves growling)

She has to defend her pups.

Even though the intruder is outnumbered,

the unknown female keeps fighting.

Her motivation remains unclear.

Scientists have never witnessed such behavior.

(wolves snarling)

And then, she heads straight for the den.

Diving in front of her, Blackspot gets there first,

blocking the entrance with her body.

(wolves snarling)

They must pull the attacker out

or she will kill the pups.

(wolves snarling)

Together, Snow White and Blackspot

successfully repel the intruder.

The pups are safe, this time.

(suspenseful music)

(gentle music)

(pups whining)

As spring advances into summer,

the pups continue to grow bigger and stronger.

Blackspot is spending all her time with them

and she is even nursing the pups.

This is only possible if Blackspot had pups of her own.

That's why she has the urge to raise offspring

even if it's not her litter.

Two lactating females caring for the same offspring

is extremely rare behavior

that's never been documented before.

It's clear that both females are caring

and attentive to the pups.

No wonder the pups are thriving.

(gentle music)

(water gurgling)

(water birds honking)

(gentle upbeat music)

The wolves aren't the only ones tending to their young.

The Arctic foxes have a full house of their own

with plenty of kits to keep them busy.

Everyone is trying to make the most

of the short Arctic summer.

With so many young, there's no time for a break.

(birds calling)

The life of the male fox is hard enough

without being divebombed by jaegers.

The food handoff is quick,

and there's no time for him to rest.

He needs to catch 30 more lemmings today.

As the kits get older and start eating more solid food,

the pair will have to supply

upwards of 100 lemmings a day just to keep them all fed.

For now, the kits are more interested in play.

(bird calling)

But if they won't eat their dinner,

someone else will.

(bird calling)

At the Eureka pack's den, summer has not been easy.

They haven't made a muskox kill in over a month.

They need a large kill to sustain a pack of this size.

(wolf munching)

While Snow White has caught some smaller prey,

Blackspot can only gnaw on a few old bones.

It's not enough.

But her dedication chains her to the young.

(gentle music)

She goes hungry, again.

(birds calling)

The jaegers have had more luck finding food

than the wolves.

Their chick needs to grow quickly

if it's to fledge by the beginning of August.

Insects and lemmings are all on the menu.

(baby bird squawks)

The Arctic hares have also had their young.

Unlike their parents, the leverets are well camouflaged.

(birds calling)

By staying perfectly still,

they might not be spotted.

The jaegers, however, have a different strategy.

(birds calling)

Even Alpha is no match for the persistent birds.

(bird squawks)

(wings flapping)

Defeated, Alpha moves on.

(birds calling)

(foxes calling)

Mealtime again at the fox den.

(foxes munching)

The pair has 11 kids.

With so many mouths to feed,

meals are first come, first served.

(wolf howls)

Even fox mothers need a break.

(wolf howls)

(gentle music)

At the Eureka pack's den, something is wrong.

Blackspot is so weak, she's barely able to walk.

She's fallen gravely ill.

After spending all day every day with the pups,

she hasn't been eating.

Snow White has been able to hunt

and so has stayed healthy.

(pups whining)

(wolf howls)

Alpha senses something is wrong.

Even though she can barely stand,

Blackspot lets the pups nurse.

Her instinct to care for them is still powerful.

The rest of the pack has yet to realize

the gravity of the situation.

They're all hungry, but Blackspot is starving.

(gentle music)

(singer vocalizing gently)

The next day, Blackspot is dead.

(pups yipping)

Her death is a reminder that in the Arctic,

there are no easy seasons.

Even in summer, the line between success and failure

is a narrow one.

(wolf howls)

(wolf howls)

(gentle music)

(pups whine)

Blackspot's body is in the den,

and the pups keep returning to her side.

It's a precarious time for Snow White and the pups.

The others have gone hunting, and won't be back for days.

At the same time, Blackspot's decaying body

may causes diseases for the pups.

Snow White has no choice but to take them

and abandon the den.

(gentle music)

Her pups are only four weeks old,

and their legs too short for the long distances hikes.

Normally, Snow White wouldn't move them

for another month.

(Snow White whines)

Leaving now is risky.

(suspenseful music)

And as if this wasn't bad enough, winter strikes back.

For muskoxen, the cold is no problem.

But how will Snow White's pups cope with this?

(bird chirps)

And there are more threats to face.

Like the raiders.

As quick as the snow came, it disappeared.

Fortunately, Snow White is an experienced mother.

She knows that 20 miles to the west there's food.

Lots of it.

On Ellesmere Island, the Arctic hares run in herds.

The hilly slopes are ideal grazing for hares.

(muskoxen snorting)

The raiders are on the move again.

(muskox growls)

But they take no interest in the muskox.

Because they've spotted something else.

Territories often overlap at their edges.

And areas of control can shift without warning.

(footsteps thudding)

(dramatic music)

(wolves growling) (wolf yipping)

(wolves snarling)

One of the Eureka pack members

has strayed too far into the raider's territory,

and is now paying the price.

He tries to fight back but he's outnumbered.

(wolves snarling)

The greatest danger to wolves here are other wolves.

Conflicts between packs are the greatest cause

of wolf deaths.

(wolves snarling)

And while Arctic wolves could live

12 or 13 years in the wild,

few will live longer than five.

(gentle music)

Traveling alone can be deadly in the high Arctic.

Will Snow White's pack find her and the pups in time?

(gentle music)

(birds chirping)

Snow White is all on her own, traveling west.

Her pups are safe, but they still have further to go.

The pups can only travel two or three miles

before they need a few days to rest.

Finally, some of her family arrives.

They've managed to follow her trail.

Snow White needs their help to provide for the pups.

(grand music)

Fortunately, leverets are plentiful,

and they are bigger.

Snow White still has to travel 10 miles to the hills

to hunt for hares.

But at least it's not as far as before.

(pups yipping)

The pups are now eating solid food,

and their appetites are growing.

A well-fed pup can gain half a pound in a day.

(wolves growling)

An older sibling tries to grab a morsel.

But this food is only for the little ones.

(pups growling)

He'll have to catch his own meal.

The family must press onward.

(gentle music)

Further west lie fields of cotton grass

where the grazing is good for hares and muskox.

This is a good time of year for all the animals,

a time to build up reserves and kick back in the summer sun.

(grand music)

High on a ridge, the foxes have moved their kits, too.

Like the wolves, Arctic foxes use a network

of secondary den sites for their young.

Playtime is still a high priority,

but infancy is short for an Arctic fox.

This is a crucial time,

when they have to learn how to hunt.

And also learn to avoid making mistakes.

(muskox growls)

This big male is obviously not pleased.

It's best to leave sleeping bulls lie.

(gentle music)

After an arduous and stressful journey,

Snow White and the pups have finally reached

their destination.

There, Alpha joins her again.

She is reunited with the rest of the pack,

and they can finally enjoy the summer warmth together.

(suspenseful music)

But something startles the pack.

(muskox snorts)

A large bull muskox is wandering

right into the middle of their resting site.

(dramatic music)

It's almost rutting season,

the time of year when males are at their most aggressive.

(muskox growls)

(wolf barks)

Weighing over 700 pounds,

a bull in his prime is a force to be reckoned with.

Five times heavier than a wolf,

he could easily trample the pups

or collapse the tunnels where they're hiding.

(muskox growls)

(muskox snorts)

It's a standoff.

The wolves may be faster than him,

but one false move

and he could gore them with his horns.

(muskox growls)

Snow White needs to be careful.

If the pack was hungry enough, they could surround him

and take him down.

But it's not worth the risk

when the hares are plentiful in the area.

(gentle music)

Snow White returns to her pups

to check if they're safe.

They will face many more challenges in the months ahead.

But thanks to the dedication of Blackspot

and Snow White, they've got all to make it.

(pups whining)

One even has a distinctive black spot

at the base of her tail, just like her foster mother.

By working together, the family kept their pups safe.

They still have much to learn

before the season changes again.

(wolf howls)

(wolves howling)

Winter is just six weeks away.

For the first time,

the pups will face icy cold temperatures.

And months of total darkness.

But the pack has proven through devotion and loyalty

that they have what it takes to survive.

Here on Ellesmere Island.

(gentle music)