Nature (1982–…): Season 29, Episode 5 - Wolverine: Chasing the Phantom - full transcript
OUT OF THE BACKCOUNTRY
DRIFT TALES OF A DEVIL BEAST.
Man: YOU COULD HEAR THIS GROWL.
IT WAS LIKE, OKAY, WE'VE GOT
SOMETHING REAL BAD HERE.
Woman:
THEY PULLED THE CAMERAS DOWN.
THE CARCASS IS TOTALLY GONE.
Narrator:
THE WOLVERINE HAS BEEN BRANDED
WITH A HELL OF A REPUTATION.
BUT WHO, REALLY,
IS THIS DEMON OF THE NORTH?
[ WOLVERINE SQUEALS ]
Man: WAIT YOUR TURN, NOW.
THEY'RE NOT POLITE.
Narrator: ONE MAN HAS COME
TO KNOW THEM AS FAMILY.
ARM LOAD OF WOLVERINES.
COME ON, LET'S GO.
Narrator: WHILE OTHERS HAVE
SPENT YEARS CHASING A PHANTOM.
I THINK SHE'S THAT WAY.
Man: IT'S ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE
FOR ANY HUMAN BEING
TO KEEP UP WITH A WOLVERINE.
Woman: THERE SHE GOES, FAST.
Man: WHAT WOLVERINES CAN DO
IS JUST BEYOND HUMAN.
Narrator: THOSE WHO HAVE SET OUT
ON THE WOLVERINE'S TRAIL
HAVE MET A CREATURE
COMPLETELY AT ODDS
WITH ITS DIABOLICAL IMAGE.
Man: THEY'RE SOCIABLE,
THEY'RE BRIGHT,
THEY FIGURE STUFF OUT,
AND SUDDENLY THEY BECOME
A REAL ANIMAL FOR US.
Narrator: OUT OF THE SHADOWS,
A MARVEL OF THE WILD
IS EMERGING,
WITH A FIERCE APPETITE
FOR SURVIVAL...
AND FOR SURPRISE.
[ ANIMAL SNARLING ]
Narrator:
DEEP IN MONTANA'S BACKCOUNTRY,
ONE OF THE MOST ELUSIVE
CREATURES ON EARTH
HAS SLIPPED THROUGH THE SNOW
AND INTO A TRAP
SET BY BIOLOGISTS
WITH THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE.
IT'S A PHANTOM
WITH A FEROCIOUS REPUTATION
THEY'VE BEEN TRACKING
FOR ALMOST A YEAR.
Man: WHOA!
THAT'S GOOD.
AAH! YEAH, BUDDY!
[ CHUCKLING ]
[ WOLVERINE SNARLING ]
I GOT TO BELIEVE IT'S M-3.
Narrator: IT'S A WOLVERINE...
A MALE THEY CALL "M3."
Man: A BIG BAD-ASS GUY,
HE'S DARK COLORED,
CHOCOLATY BROWN, FAT,
HEALTHY LOOKING GUY
IN THE PRIME OF HIS LIFE... M3.
Man: A WOLVERINE
CAN CROSS A TOPO MAP
LIKE WE CROSS A STREET.
AT SOME POINT
HE GOT IT IN HIS HEAD
THAT THIS IS WHERE
HE WAS GOING TO GO.
AND IF THAT TAKES YOU OVER
THE TOP, THEN SO BE IT.
Man: HE CLIMBED MOUNT CLEVELAND.
HE CLIMBED
THE HIGHEST PEAK IN THE PARK!
HE WENT TO THE TOP OF IT
AT THE END OF JANUARY.
HE GAINED 4,900 VERTICAL FEET
IN 90 MINUTES.
Man: I MEAN, THAT'S SOME
PRETTY FORMIDABLE TERRAIN.
THE KIND OF STUFF WHERE EVEN
THE GOATS WERE LOOKING AT HIM,
GOING, "DON'T GO, DON'T DO IT,
MAN, YOU'RE GOING TO DIE."
[ BOTH LAUGHING ]
Narrator:
THE WOLVERINE IS PERHAPS
THE LEAST-KNOWN MAMMAL
IN ALL OF NORTH AMERICA,
AND ONE OF THE LEAST STUDIED
LARGE CARNIVORES IN THE WORLD.
BUT FOR FIVE YEARS,
A SMALL TEAM
IN GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
HAS BEEN TRYING TO LEARN
EVERYTHING THEY CAN ABOUT THEM,
BRAVING ROCK AND ICE,
WIND AND SNOW...
A NO-MAN'S LAND
OF WINTER WILDERNESS.
Man: NOT THAT MANY PEOPLE WANT
TO GO OUT AT 20¢ BELOW
AND INTO A 50-MILE-AN-HOUR WIND
AND SEE WHAT A WOLVERINE
IS DOING,
BUT I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING
THAT OFFERS ME MORE FREEDOM
AND MORE ADVENTURE
AND MORE SENSE OF DISCOVERY.
Narrator: DOUG CHADWICK
SEEKS OUT REMARKABLE STORIES
OF THE NATURAL WORLD
AND BRINGS THEM TO THE PUBLIC.
HE HAS 10 BOOKS AND HUNDREDS
OF ARTICLES TO HIS NAME.
FROM HAWAII TO THE HIMALAYAS,
HE HAS TRAVELED THE GLOBE.
BUT IT'S WHEN HE RETURNS HOME
TO MONTANA
AND HITS THE WOLVERINE TRAIL
THAT DOUG FEELS HE'S ON
SACRED GROUND.
NOW, HE'S PUTTING HIS PASSION
TO THE PAGE
IN A NEW BOOK ABOUT THEM.
THE REASON I'M WRITING
ABOUT WOLVERINES IS BECAUSE
SO LITTLE IS KNOWN
ABOUT THESE DOGGONE ANIMALS.
THEY'RE SOCIABLE,
THEY'RE BRIGHT,
THEY FIGURE STUFF OUT.
THEY'RE COOL AS ANYTHING.
SO I WANT TO BECOME A WOLVERINE.
I WANT TO GET DOWN
ON ALL FOURS
AND SEE THE WORLD
THROUGH ITS EYES,
FEEL IT THROUGH ITS FEET,
AND SMELL IT
THROUGH ITS NOSE.
FIRST OF ALL, I'M NOT ALL
THAT FAR OFF THE GROUND.
I WEIGH ABOUT 30 POUNDS,
I'M THREE FEET LONG,
BUT I'VE GOT PAWS ALMOST
THE SIZE OF MY HAND HERE,
AND I'VE GOT FOUR OF THEM,
AND THAT'S A LOT OF SNOWSHOES
FOR 30 POUNDS.
I'M SPREADING MY WEIGHT OUT
REAL EVENLY ON THE SNOW.
I CAN GET PLACES
ACROSS DEEP SNOW
THAT OTHER ANIMALS ARE GOING
TO STRUGGLE MIGHTILY WITH.
I'VE GOT CRAMPONS...
PRETTY GOOD SIZE CLAWS,
SLIGHTLY CURVED ON THE EDGE
OF EACH OF THOSE FIVE TOES.
SO I GOT 20 OF THOSE.
AND THAT'S WHY I CAN GO
UP AN ICEFALL
OR A SHEER COLUMN
ON THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN
AND UP OVER THE DIVIDE,
BACK OVER THE DIVIDE
IN THE MIDDLE OF JANUARY.
I'VE GOT A NOSE
THAT CAN DETECT A CARCASS
20 FEET UNDER THE SNOW,
BURIED IN AN AVALANCHE.
I'VE GOT A FUR COAT
THAT DRAPES DOWN MY SIDE
AND MAKES ME VIRTUALLY
IMMUNE TO THE COLD.
WHEN THEY LIE ON THE SNOW,
THEY DON'T MELT THE SNOW...
THAT'S HOW GOOD
THEIR INSULATION IS.
THE OTHER THING IT TAKES
TO BUILD A WOLVERINE
IS JUST A TON OF ATTITUDE.
YOU'RE NOT AFRAID OF VERY MUCH,
YOU DON'T BACK DOWN
FROM VERY MUCH.
WHAT IS REQUIRED TO GO LOOK
A GRIZZLY BEAR IN ITS FACE,
WHICH IS LIKE THAT, AND SAY,
"YEAH, I THINK I CAN TAKE YOU,
YOU LOOK LIKE A WUSS?"
[ GRUNTS ]
Narrator:
WOLVERINES INHABIT A UNIVERSE
THAT IS RUGGED, REMOTE,
AND FIERCELY RAW.
WINTER IS WHAT WORKS FOR THEM.
YET THEY'RE TIED TO IT IN WAYS
WE DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND.
THEY'RE ONE OF THE LARGEST
MEMBERS OF THE WEASEL FAMILY...
DESCENDENTS OF AN ICE AGE WEASEL
THAT ONCE ROAMED
THE FROZEN CONTINENT.
TODAY, WOLVERINES ARE SCATTERED
ACROSS THE FAR NORTH,
FROM ALASKA AND CANADA,
TO SCANDINAVIA AND SIBERIA.
IN THE LOWER 48,
THEIR STRONGHOLD IS
A MILLION-ACRE WILDERNESS
WHERE WINTER IS CRYSTALLIZED
IN ITS VERY NAME...
GLACIER NATIONAL PARK.
FOR UP TO NINE MONTHS
OF THE YEAR,
WINDS RIDING IN FROM THE WEST
LASH THE PEAKS
AT 80 MILES PER HOUR
AND WHIP UP WALLS OF SNOW
SEVEN STORIES HIGH.
MOST ROADS HERE
STAY CLOSED
UNTIL JUNE.
IN 2008, CREWS WERE BLASTING
SNOW OFF LOGAN PASS
FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY.
THAT WAS A GOOD YEAR
FOR WOLVERINES.
THERE'S NO BETTER PLACE
TO GAIN A FOOTHOLD
INTO THEIR SECRETIVE WORLD.
I THINK SHE'S THAT WAY.
Narrator: JEFF COPELAND IS ONE
OF THE WORLD'S LEADING EXPERTS
AND AT THE HELM OF
THE GLACIER WOLVERINE PROJECT.
Copeland: GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
PROBABLY HAS
THE HIGHEST DENSITY
OF WOLVERINES
THAT WE KNOW OF
IN THE CONTIGUOUS UNITED STATES.
WE ESTIMATE THAT THERE'S
ABOUT 40 TO 45 WOLVERINES,
COMPARED TO
200 TO 300 GRIZZLY BEARS.
WE ALWAYS KIND OF MAKE FUN OF
GRIZZLY BEARS
BECAUSE THEY SLEEP ALL WINTER...
THEY'RE IN A NICE WARM HOLE
SOMEWHERE SLEEPING
THE WINTER OFF.
BUT THE WOLVERINE IS THE GUY
THAT'S, THEY'RE UP INTO THIS,
IN THIS COUNTRY.
THEY'RE ALL ABOUT SNOW.
Narrator: A LITTLE WOLVERINE
SEEMS TO RUB OFF ON THOSE
WHO STUDY THEM...
THEY DON'T DISCOURAGE EASILY.
BIOLOGIST RICK YATES
HEADS THE FIELD TEAM
FOR THE GLACIER STUDY.
INCREDIBLY, ACROSS AN AREA
LARGER THAN RHODE ISLAND,
THE TEAM WAS ABLE TO CAPTURE
MORE THAN HALF OF
THE PARK'S ESTIMATED POPULATION,
FITTING 27 WOLVERINES WITH
TRANSMITTERS AND GPS COLLARS.
PIN POINTING THEIR LOCATIONS
EVERY FIVE MINUTES
ALLOWED THE TEAM
AN UNPRECEDENTED
REAL-TIME VIEW OF WOLVERINES
ON THE LANDSCAPE.
BREAKING TRAIL
FOR THOUSANDS OF MILES,
RICK AND VOLUNTEERS
SUCH AS BUCK HASSON
FOLLOW THE GPS WAYPOINTS,
SEARCHING FOR
EVIDENCE OF RECENT ACTIVITY.
THEY'RE ON DANGEROUS GROUND.
WOLVERINE COUNTRY
IS ALSO AVALANCHE COUNTRY.
Man: WOLVERINES DON'T HIBERNATE,
AND SO THEY'RE OUT
ALL WINTER LONG
AND THEY'RE FEEDING ON ANIMALS
THAT ARE KILLED BY
AVALANCHES AND FALLS.
SO THEY'RE PICKING UP
THE PIECES OF OTHER ANIMALS
THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT
THROUGH THE WINTER.
Man: WHAT DO YOU THINK, RICK?
Yates: WELL, THERE'S MORE LEFT
OF THIS GOAT THAN A LOT OF 'EM.
THESE ARE THE REMAINS OF
A MOUNTAIN GOAT
THAT A WOLVERINE HAD CONSUMED.
AND THIS IS ALL THAT'S LEFT.
IT'S INTERESTING,
THEY DIDN'T EAT THE TEETH.
I WAS ACTUALLY SURPRISED TO FIND
THIS PART OF THE UPPER MANDIBLE
AND THIS PART OF
THE PELVIC BONE.
THEY JUST MUST NOT HAVE BEEN
HUNGRY THAT DAY.
Chadwick: ITS MOST COMMON NAME
IS "THE GLUTTON."
GULO GULO, WHICH MEANS
"GLUTTONOUS GLUTTON."
YOU JUST CAN'T GET ANY MORE
GLUTTONY THAN THAT.
THEY'LL TAKE ON A MOUNTAIN GOAT,
A BIG HORNED SHEEP.
THEY'LL PROBABLY GET IN TUSSLES
WITH WOLVES AND COUGARS
OVER CARCASSES.
THEY'VE BEEN SEEN BRINGING DOWN
FULL-GROWN MOOSE.
THAT'S A PRETTY IMPRESSIVE
OPERATION.
THAT'S LIKE A HOUSE CAT
BRINGING DOWN A DEER.
WE'VE AUTOPSIED A CARCASS THAT,
WHEN YOU FEEL THE STOMACH,
IT IS LIKE A BIG BAG OF GRAVEL,
AND IT'S ALL BONES.
EVEN OLD,
BEAT-UP LOOKING BONES
LEFT ON THE GROUND
STILL HAVE OILS AND FATS
IN THEM.
AND A WOLVERINE HAS THE JAWS
TO CRUNCH THOSE UP.
HOW CAN IT SURVIVE
WHEN WINTER
COMES AS EARLY AS OCTOBER
AND DOESN'T LEAVE UNTIL JUNE?
AND I THINK SOMETIMES
IT'S A HEAP OF BONES...
IT'S A RUBBLE OF BONES
THAT GETS THEM THROUGH.
Narrator: AFTER FIVE YEARS
OF FIELDWORK,
ASIDE FROM THE WOLVERINES
THEY'VE CAUGHT IN TRAPS,
THE GLACIER TEAM HAS GOTTEN ONLY
A GLIMPSE OR TWO
OF THE ANIMALS THEMSELVES.
BUT THE REST OF US
MAY HAVE SEEN ONE
FROM THE COMFORT OF OUR COUCH.
[ APPLAUSE ]
I DON'T THINK IN ALL THE TIME
WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS SHOW,
THAT WE'VE HAD THIS ANIMAL
ON THIS SHOW.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE
IN THE AUDIENCE
KNOW WHAT
THIS ANIMAL IS.
I'M TRYING TO DO BIGGER
AND BETTER THINGS
ON THE PROGRAM
AFTER ALL TH ESE 27 YEARS
I'VE DONE THIS WITH YOU, JOHNNY.
THAT'S A WOLVERINE.
A WOLVERINE?
IT'S THE ONLY TAME WOLVERINE
THAT I KNOW OF IN THE WORLD.
AND IT'S STEVE KROSCHEL
WHO HAS DONE IT.
SEEING ONE IS RARE ENOUGH,
BUT SEEING TWO
IS PRETTY UNUSUAL.
Narrator: STEVE KROSCHEL HAS
SPENT 25 YEARS WITH WOLVERINES.
Kroschel: I WAS ON A QUEST
SINCE I WAS A KID
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT
THIS MYSTERIOUS ANIMAL.
AND THE MORE I LEARNED,
THE MORE QUESTIONS I HAD.
Narrator: STEVE WAS
A BUDDING WILDLIFE FILMMAKER
IN THE 1980s WHEN HE FIRST CAME
TO ALASKA FROM MINNESOTA.
OVER THE YEARS,
HE'S WORKED ON MORE THAN
100 FILMS,
FROM THE FEATURE
"NEVER CRY WOLF"
TO THE DOCUMENTARY SERIES
"PLANET EARTH."
FROM HIS HOME
JUST OUTSIDE OF HAINES,
STEVE HAS GROWN
A 60-ACRE WILDLIFE REFUGE
WHERE HE CARES FOR
INJURED AND ORPHANED ANIMALS
AND TEACH ES VISITORS ABOUT
ALASKA'S NATIVE SPECIES.
BUT FOR STEVE,
RIGHT FROM THE START
IT WAS ALL ABOUT WOLVERINES.
HE'S ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE
IN THE WORLD
TO RAISE THEM IN CAPTIVITY.
YET IT'S BEEN 16 YEARS
SINCE HE'S HAD KITS.
GETTING WOLVERINES TO BREED
IS NOTORIOUSLY DIFFICULT.
IT'S JUST ANOTHER PART
OF THEIR MYSTIQUE.
Kroschel: A WOLVERINE BIRTH
IN CAPTIVITY
IS JUST A FEW NOTCHES BELOW
A PANDA BIRTH OR A POLAR BEAR.
AND SO IT'S A BIG THING,
IT'S A BIG DEAL.
Narrator: THIS YEAR,
STEVE HAS HIGH HOPES.
ON HIS COMPOUND
HE HAS TWO MALES
NAMED SKIPPY AND SPARK,
A FEMALE NAMED STAR
THAT HE RAISED FROM BIRTH,
AND JENNY, ANOTHER FEMALE
ON LOAN FROM THE ALASKA ZOO.
AS STEVE HAS BEEN ABLE TO RAISE
THREE LITTERS,
THE ZOO IS HOPING HIS FACILITY
MAY OFFER JENNY A BETTER
ENVIRONMENT FOR COURTSHIP.
AND SHE DID MATE...
BUT THAT'S STILL NO GUARANTEE
THAT SHE'LL ACTUALLY HAVE KITS.
IF SHE IS PREGNANT, SHE'D BE DUE
TO GIVE BIRTH ANY DAY NOW.
STEVE KEEPS CONSTANT VIGIL.
Kroschel: THERE'S SOMETHING
GOING ON IN THERE.
THIS IS 10 DAYS NOW.
IT'S TAKING A TOLL ON ME.
I'VE BEEN NERVOUS
AND STRESSED OUT.
IT'S TORTUROUS.
I DON'T KNOW...
THERE'S NO REMOTE CAMERA
IN THIS DEN...
HAVE NO CLUE AS TO
WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON.
SO I'M GOING TO GO OUT
AND TRY TO FEED
AND SEE IF I CAN GET
MORE CLUES.
[ KITS SQUEALING ]
Narrator: AT LAST...
TWO OF THE RAREST BABIES
IN THE WORLD.
BUT THEY AREN'T JENNY'S.
HIS OLD FEMALE, STAR,
IS THE MOTHER.
MAYBE IT WAS
THE INTRODUCTION OF JENNY
THAT SPURRED STAR
AFTER ALL TH ESE YEARS
TO SHOW HER DOMINANCE
AND GIVE BIRTH...
BUT WE CAN ONLY SPECULATE.
THE DELIVERY
WAS STAR'S FINAL ACT...
SHE DIED JUST MOMENTS AFTER,
AND NOW STEVE HAS TWO KITS
WITHOUT A MOTHER.
Kroschel:
I'LL START WITH THIS ONE.
Narrator:
HE AND HIS SON, GARRETT,
WILL HAVE TO STEP UP
AND BECOME WOLVERINE PARENTS.
Kroschel: THE DEMANDING
WOLVERINE KITS.
Narrator: STEVE WILL HAVE TO
DRAW ON
ALL HIS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
TO RAISE THESE TWO.
IN THE BACK OF HIS MIND
IS A DAUNTING STATISTIC...
OUT OF THE 11 WOLVERINES
BORN IN AMERICAN ZOOS LAST YEAR,
ONLY ONE HAS SURVIVED.
[ KITS GRUNTING ]
Woman: WOULDN'T IT BE COOL
IF WE SAW A WOLVERINE
JUST TRUCKING RIGHT ACROSS THERE
RIGHT NOW?
Narrator:
BIOLOGIST AUDREY MAGOUN
KNOWS AS MUCH ABOUT WOLVERINES
AS ANYONE ALIVE.
FOR 30 YEARS,
SHE HAS BEEN WORKING WITH
THE DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME,
CRISSCROSSING ALASKA
TO STUDY HOW WOLVERINES SURVIVE
IN THIS VAST FRONTIER.
HER WORK BEGAN IN 1978
WHEN PROPOSALS FOR OIL
DEVELOPMENT ON THE NORTH SLOPE
SENT AUDREY UP TO THE TUNDRA
AS A YOUNG GRADUATE STUDENT.
PART OF HER JOB WAS TO CAPTURE
AND TAG WOLVERINES
TO ASSESS HOW DEVELOPMENT
WOULD AFFECT THEM.
SHE WAS HOOKED.
Magoun: I GET ASKED
THE QUESTION,
WHY AM I EXCITED OR PASSIONATE
ABOUT WOLVERINES?
PROBABLY I'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO
ANSWER THAT SATISFACTORILY
UNTIL SOMEONE CAN ACTUALLY BE
NEAR A WOLVERINE.
THERE'S SOMETHING
ABOUT WOLVERINES
THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM
ANY OTHER ANIMALS.
AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT,
THERE'S THE PLACES THEY LIVE.
THE NORTHERN WILDERNESS AREAS
THAT I LOVE
ARE WHAT WOLVERINES LOVE.
AND IT COULD BE
A CIRCULAR THING...
I MAY LOVE THOSE AREAS
BECAUSE WOLVERINES LIVE THERE,
I DON'T KNOW.
ALL I KNOW IS,
THERE'S SOMETHING
ABOUT THE ESSENCE OF WOLVERINES
THAT MAKES THINGS, FOR ME,
WILD AND SPECIAL.
Narrator: WOLVERINES SEEK OUT
THE TOUGHEST TERRAIN,
AND AS THEY'VE ALWAYS
BEEN SCARCE,
IT'S NO WONDER THEY'RE AMONG
THE LEAST STUDIED ANIMALS
ON THE PLANET.
THEY ONCE RANGED
AS FAR SOUTH AS NEW MEXICO.
TODAY, IN THE LOWER 48,
THEY'VE RETREATED TO
THE ROCKIES...
THE WILDEST COUNTRY LEFT.
BUT THEIR NORTH AMERICAN
TERRITORY STILL EXTENDS UP
INTO THE MOST REMOTE REACHES
OF CANADA AND ALASKA.
Man: WE'VE GOT TO GO UP IN
THE SCENERY VALLEY
AND TRACK THAT FEMALE.
Narrator: THIS YEAR, WITH
HER HUSBAND, PAT VALKENBURG,
AUDREY IS FAR FROM THE TUNDRA,
SEARCHING FOR WOLVERINES
IN THE COASTAL WILDERNESS OF
ALASKA'S SOUTH EAST.
THEY'RE TRAPPED FOR FUR HERE,
BUT UNTIL NOW,
THERE'S BEEN NO RESEARCH
IN THIS AREA
TO HELP THE STATE MANAGE THEM.
SO FAR,
THEY'VE RADIO-COLLARED FIVE,
AND TODAY THEY'RE SCOUTING
FOR ONE THAT MAY HAVE KITS...
ACROSS A STUDY AREA OF SOME
3,600 SQUARE MILES.
Magoun:
I'VE ONLY SEEN WOLVERINES
PROBABLY FOUR TIMES
IN THE 30 SOME YEARS
I'VE LIVED IN ALASKA.
TRYING TO GET A VISUAL
ON A WOLVERINE
IS A MATTER OF LUCK...
OF JUST THE DAY AND THE TIME
YOU PICK TO DO IT, HE HAPPENS,
OR SHE HAPPENS,
TO BE UP ABOVE THE TREE LINE.
Narrator: THEY PICK UP A SIGNAL
FROM ONE OF THE COLLARS.
Magoun: THERE SHE GOES... FAST!
Valkenburg: YEAH, OKAY,
FROM THE SIGNAL, IT SOUNDED LIKE
THAT SHE'S IN THE SAME PLACE
WHERE SHE HAS THE KITS NOW,
WHICH IS OFF MY LEFT WING.
THERE'S PROBABLY
A PRETTY GOOD CHANCE
THAT SHE'S DEEP DOWN
AND UNDER THE SNOW.
Narrator: THE RADIO COLLARS
DETAIL THE MOVEMENTS
OF JUST A FEW INDIVIDUALS.
AUDREY HAS ANOTHER PLAN...
ONE THAT BRINGS WOLVERINES
TO HER.
WITH HER FIELD ASSISTANT,
DAVE BENITZ,
AUDREY IS INSTALLING A SYSTEM OF
39 REMOTE CAMERAS
IN THIS PATCH OF
THE TONGASS NATIONAL FOREST.
SHE'S USING NEW TECHNOLOGY
TO CAPTURE AND IDENTIFY
HER SUBJECTS
WITHOUT TOUCHING THEM AT ALL.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR TWO TREES THAT
ARE ABOUT 10 FEET APART.
HOW ABOUT THAT BIG ONE
DOWN THERE?
Narrator: AUDREY'S DISCOVERED
THAT EACH WOLVERINE
HAS A CHEST PATTERN
AS UNIQUE AS FINGERPRINTS.
BUT MAKING A POSITIVE I.D.
WILL TAKE PRECISION
IN HER SET-UP.
THE SLOW PART OF THE JOB
IS GETTING THESE CAMERAS
JUST RIGHT.
Narrator: THIS IS
THE SECOND YEAR OF HER STUDY.
IN THE FIRST YEAR ALONE
SHE IDENTIFIED 21 WOLVERINES
THAT USE THIS AREA.
WITH STILLS AND VIDEO,
SHE'S ASSEMBLING A PORTRAIT OF
THE WOLVERINES THAT LIVE HERE.
FOR HER, A PICTURE IS PERSONAL.
Magoun: THIS GUY,
HE'S MY TROUBLEMAKER.
THIS IS "ZIG-ZAG,"
AND I TRIED ALL WINTER
TO CATCH THIS WOLVERINE,
AND NEVER DID.
"HOOT," HE'S A LITTLE BIT SHY,
BUT NOW HE'LL LET
HIS PICTURE TAKEN.
"SARGE"... HE DIDN'T HESITATE
AT ALL
MOVING RIGHT IN WITH THE CAMERA
FLASHING AND EVERYTHING
AND START TRYING TO
GET THE BAIT,
AND HE WORKS REALLY HARD
IN GETTING THE BAIT.
HE'S THE ONE
THAT'LL JUMP UP THERE
AND HANG ON TO A DRY OLD BONE
AND SWING ON THIS BONE
AND WORK ON IT,
TRYING TO GET IT DOWN.
HE'S A BOLD,
NOT VERY CAUTIOUS WOLVERINE.
Narrator: LEFT TO WORK
QUIETLY ON THEIR OWN,
THE CAMERAS PROVIDE AUDREY
WITH THE BASICS...
THE WHO, WHAT, WHEN, AND WHERE
OF A WOLVERINE POPULATION STUDY,
DOCUMENTING WHO EMERGES
WHEN HUMANS LEAVE...
AND NOT JUST IN ALASKA.
DOWN IN THE LOWER 48,
THEY'RE SEEING GHOSTS.
MICHIGAN IS CALLED
"THE WOLVERINE STATE,"
BUT NO ONE HAD SEEN ONE IN
THE WILD HERE FOR ZOO YEARS.
THEN, AFTER A REPORTED SIGHTING
IN 2004
IN THE WOODS NEAR HIS HOME,
SCHOOLTEACHER JEFF FORD
DECIDED TO SET UP A VIDEO CAMERA
WITH NIGHT VISION.
AND OUT OF THE DARKNESS,
A PHANTOM COMES TO LIFE.
HIGH IN THE SIERRA NEVADA,
THERE'S BREAKING NEWS...
Man: SCIENTISTS SAY THIS ONE
PRIZED PICTURE
PROVES THAT AT LEAST
ONE WOLVERINE
IS NOW LIVING IN THE SIERRA.
IT IS THE SIERRA'S
FIRST DOCUMENTED WOLVERINE
SINCE 1922.
AND TONIGHT
IT IS SENDING SHOCKWAVES
THROUGH THE SCIENCE WORLD.
Woman: WHEN YOU SAW IT,
WHAT WAS THE FIRST REACTION
THAT WENT THROUGH YOUR MIND?
THE STEREOTYPICAL
"THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE"...
ENTIRE SHOCK.
THERE'S NO WAY THAT I COULD
POSSIBLY HAVE DOCUMENTED
A WOLVERINE
IN TAHOE NATIONAL FOREST.
Narrator:
WHAT DO THESE SIGHTINGS MEAN?
HAVE WOLVERINES BEEN HIDING IN
THE BACKCOUNTRY ALL THIS TIME,
DISCOVERED AT LAST
BY NEW TECHNOLOGY?
OR ARE THEY LONE TRAVELERS,
MOVING BACK TO RECLAIM
THEIR OLD HAUNTS?
UP IN GLACIER NATIONAL PARK,
RICK YATES AND BUCK HASSON
ARE STILL WORKING ON THEIR OWN
PIECE OF THE WOLVERINE PUZZLE.
Hasson: HEY, RICK, HERE WE GO...
HERE WE GO!
Yates: SO THIS LOOKS LIKE
A 1-2-1.
Hasson: YEAH, 1-2-1,
THERE WE GO... BEAUTIFUL.
Yates: HERE'S ANOTHER SET.
Hasson: OH, YEAH.
YOU SEEING THAT?
THIS IS A FRONT, FRONT,
REAR, REAR.
RIGHT THERE, SEE?
HERE'S A FRONT, FRONT,
REAR, REAR.
AND IT'S WHAT I CALL
"THE WOLVERINE LOPE."
HE'S MOVING,
HE'S GOING SOMEWHERE HERE.
HIS REAR FEET ARE AHEAD OF
HIS FRONT FEET.
AND THIS IS HOW THIS WONDERFUL
ANIMAL COVERS 20 MILES IN A DAY.
HE JUST...
HE'S MOVING RIGHT NOW.
I LOVE IT!
[ CHUCKLES ]
THAT SAME CRITTER COULD BE ON
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PARK NOW.
Narrator: PUSHING OFF
BOTH REAR LEGS TOGETHER,
THEN FRONT LEGS TOGETHER,
THE WOLVERINE'S SIGNATURE LOPE
HELPS THEM ATTAIN MORE SPEED
WITH LESS APPARENT EFFORT.
THEY DEVOUR THE LANDSCAPE
AT A NEAR-CONSTANT
FOUR MILES PER HOUR,
NO MATTER WHAT THE TERRAIN...
FLATLAND OR MOUNTAIN.
THE GLACIER STUDY RAN OUT
OF FUNDS IN 2007,
BUT RICK AND HIS CREW OF
VOLUNTEERS CARRY ON, ANYWAY...
COMPLETELY ON THEIR OWN.
HE AND BUCK SCOUR
THE AIR AND RIDGE LINE
FOR TRACES OF ANYONE
THEY MIGHT RECOGNIZE.
ALL IS QUIET.
ONE PARTICULAR COUPLE...
A MALE, M1; AND A FEMALE, F4...
CALLS THIS PLACE HOME.
THE TEAM GOT TO KNOW THEM MORE
AS PHANTOMS THAN FLESH
DURING THE STUDY,
YET TH ROUGH THE YEARS
AND OVER THE AIRWAVES,
THEY MADE A CONNECTION.
PRETTY GOOD SIZE.
THOSE ARE WOLVERINE TRACKS.
LOOK AT THIS.
THAT ONE HAS FIVE TOES.
THAT LITTLE DIGIT
RIGHT THERE SHOWS UP.
LOOK AT THAT.
Yates: EVERY TRACK I SEE,
I WONDER, IS THIS M1?
IS THIS F4'S TRACK?
SHE'S THE MAIN FEMALE
IN THIS AREA.
SHE WAS A GOOD MOM,
HAD KITS THREE OUT OF
THE FIVE YEARS.
Narrator:
WHILE FEBRUARY STORMS RAGED,
F4 CARED FOR HER NEWBORNS
IN A COZY FORTRESS,
TEN FEET BENEATH THE SURFACE.
TO KEEP THEIR BABIES INSULATED
AND PROTECTED,
FEMALES ALWAYS CHOOSE DEN SITES
THAT HOLD DEEP SNOW
WELL INTO MAY.
WITH SNOW COVER
CHANGING RADICALLY
FROM YEAR TO YEAR,
JUST HOW THEY FIND THESE SPOTS
AND KNOW THE SNOW WILL LAST
IS ANYONE'S GUESS.
MAYBE IT'S MATERNAL INSTINCT.
BUT WHATEVER IT IS,
IT'S SOMETHING FUNDAMENTAL
TO WOLVERINES.
Yates: YOU KNOW, IT'D BE NICE TO
KNOW IF IT WAS F4.
WE SPENT FIVE YEARS
FOLLOWING HER AROUND,
AND, YOU KNOW, HER TRANSMITTER
QUIT TWO YEARS AGO,
I GUESS?
SHE STILL HAS HER EAR TAG,
AND OF COURSE WE HAVE
A DNA PRINT FROM HER,
BUT IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW
IF SHE'S STILL AROUND.
I MEAN, YOU GET TO KNOW
THESE GUYS,
AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN,
YOU DON'T KNOW
WHAT THEY'RE DOING ANYMORE
OR IF THEY'RE ALIVE
OR HAVING KITS,
AND YOU WISH YOU COULD JUST KIND
OF TRACK THEM
FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME.
Narrator: DOUG CHADWICK
AND DAVE MURRAY
HAVE BEEN IN THE BACKCOUNTRY
FOR DAYS,
AND SIGN OF THEIR QUARRY
IS SCARCE.
BUT THE TEAM PRESSES ON, DRIVEN
BY WOLVERINE-LIKE TENACITY.
Chadwick: LIKE MOST OF THE GUYS
ON THE PROJECT,
WHAT I REALLY WANT TO DO
IS JUST BE A WOLVERINE.
I WANT TO GO WHERE I WANT TO GO,
DO WHAT I WANT TO DO,
BITE WHO I WANT TO BITE,
AND CLIMB WHAT I WANT TO CLIMB.
Narrator: THIS WORK TAKES
A RARE BREED OF FRONTIERSMEN...
THOSE WITH 19th-CENTURY
BACKCOUNTRY SKILLS
AND A DASH OF
21st-CENTURY SCIENCE.
THEY HUNT FOR ELECTRONIC SIGNALS
AND SET TRAPS FOR DNA.
Man: THAT'S WOLVERINEY!
I REALLY LIKE THIS ONE.
Chadwick: SO WE CAME IN FEBRUARY
AND PUT A QUARTER OF A DEER
THIS HIGH,
AND THE ONLY ONE THAT, WE HOPE,
IS ABLE TO CLIMB UP TO THE TOP
IS A WOLVERINE.
SO WE'VE GOT GUN BRUSHES,
WHICH ARE NICE GRABBY WIRES...
PUT THEM ALL AROUND
SO WHOEVER CLIMBS UP
IS BOUND TO LEAVE
A LITTLE BIT OF FUR FOR US.
THIS IS...
A TREASURE TROVE
OF WOLVERINE DNA, WE'RE HOPING.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
IT MEANS YOU CAN NOT ONLY TELL
WHO THE MOTHER AND FATHER ARE,
BUT YOU CAN START TO SEE
HOW MANY WOLVERINES
YOU CAN FIT INTO ONE AREA.
AND WHAT WE'RE FINDING
FROM TRACKS AND RADIO SIGN,
IS YOU CAN'T FIT
VERY MANY WOLVERINES
EVEN IN A PLACE AS HUGE AS THIS
BECAUSE THEY HAVE
ENORMOUS TERRITORIES.
Narrator: A WOLVERINE PATROLS
ABOUT 500 SQUARE MILES...
A HOME TURF LARGER THAN
AN AVERAGE GRIZZLY'S...
NOT BAD FOR AN ANIMAL
WITH TEN-INCH LEGS.
AND ALL THAT VAST RANGE
BELONGS TO JUST ONE MALE
AND TWO OR THREE FEMALES.
HOW ON EARTH DO THEY FIND EACH
OTHER ACROSS SUCH A DISTANCE?
THEY NAVIGATE BY
MEMORY AND MARKING,
STAKING AN INVISIBLE
SIGNPOST WITH EVERY STRIDE.
BUT THE SOCIAL SIDE
OF WOLVERINES
CAME AS A COMPLETE SURPRISE.
Chadwick: IT WAS THOUGHT THAT
WOLVERINES ARE GNARLY, SURLY,
THE ONLY TIME THEY GET TOGETHER
IS TO BREED.
BUT WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS
THEY'RE ABLE TO STAY IN THEIR
PARENTS' TERRITORY
THEIR FIRST YEAR
AND LEARN FROM THEM
WHERE THE GOOD SPOTS ARE,
LEARN HOW TO BE A WOLVERINE
FROM DAD...
HOW TO BE A BAD-ASS WOLVERINE.
BUT THE POINT IS THAT
THEY'RE MUCH MORE SOCIABLE
AND MUCH MORE FAMILY ORIENTED
THAN ANYONE WOULD HAVE GUESSED.
Narrator: MALES USUALLY TAKE
SEVERAL MATES,
AND IN AN UNUSUAL
FAMILY DYNAMIC,
THEY'VE BEEN KNOWN TO TRAVEL
FROM FEMALE TO FEMALE,
HELPING TO RAISE
EACH OF THEIR KITS.
THE GLACIER TEAM TRACKED M1
INTO F4'S DEN,
AND FOUND HIM TRAVELING WITH
THEIR YOUNG...
AND THOSE OF
HIS SECOND FAMILY...
ON 17 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS.
WHEN HIS SON, M3,
HAD KITS OF HIS OWN, HE IN TURN
TRAVELED WITH THEM,
PASSING ALONG
THE LESSONS HE'D LEARNED.
FATHERHOOD, IT SEEMS,
IS IN THEIR NATURE.
GROWING UP WOLVERINE MAY ALL
DEPEND ON THE INCREDIBLE,
INDISPUTABLE ROLE OF THE DAD.
[ KITS SQUEALING ]
Kroschel: OH, MY GOODNESS!
THIS ONE HERE IS NAMED BANFF,
AND THIS ONE IS JASPER...
BANFF AND JASPER.
WAIT YOUR TURN NOW!
THEY'RE NOT POLITE.
[ KIT GRUNTING ]
NO, THEY'RE GETTING FULL NOW.
I'M GOING TO CLEAN HIM UP
A LITTLE BIT HERE
BECAUSE THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
SO I'M JUST CLEANING HIM OFF
HERE LIKE MOMMY WOULD DO.
SHE WOULD LICK AROUND
THEIR FACES,
MAKE SURE THERE'S NO MESS.
THIS IS SOMETHING WE DO,
THIS CLEANING AND FEEDING
IS STILL GOING ON
ABOUT EVERY FOUR HOURS...
AROUND THE CLOCK.
SO WE'RE NOT GETTING
A LOT OF SLEEP...
I'M NOT GETTING
A LOT OF SLEEP.
THE WOLVERINES ARE
GETTING A LOT OF SLEEP.
IN THIS TUB, I CHANGE AND I PUT
FRESH MOSS FROM THE FOREST
IN THERE ALMOST EVERY DAY,
AND ALSO A LITTLE BIT OF
TREE BRANCHES AND SUCH,
LIKE THIS HEMLOCK.
THESE ARE PSYCHOLOGICAL
SECURITY BLANKETS
FOR THE WOLVERINE,
THIS KIND OF BEDDING IS
VERY IMPORTANT.
GIVE THEM A LITTLE BIT
OF PRIVACY.
FOR FOUR HOURS, NOW, I CAN DO
SOMETHING ELSE AND RELAX.
[ KROSCHEL MIMICS
WOLVERINE GRUNTS ]
ARM LOAD OF WOLVERINES.
[ KITS SNARLING ]
THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO
RUN FREE,
THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO
EXPERIENCE LIFE LIKE THEY WOULD
IN THE WILD.
SO WE TAKE THEM TO THESE
DIFFERENT KINDS TYPES OF HABITAT
THAT THEY WOULD NORMALLY
BE SEEING WITH THEIR MOTHER,
WHETHER IT'S THE RIVER
OR UP IN THE FOREST.
TRYING TO FILM THESE WOLVERINES
OUT HERE IN
THIS MOSQUITO-INFESTED FOREST
IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE,
BUT I THINK WE'LL GET
A FEW SHOTS HERE AND THERE.
UH-OH, INTO MY POWER CORD.
DON'T YOU CHEW THAT IN HALF!
NO, NO.
WOLVERINES ARE SO INQUISITIVE,
THEY GET INTO EVERYTHING.
I MEAN I HAVE LOST POWER CORDS.
THEY JUST CHEW THEM IN HALF,
I MEAN,
AND IN JUST A FEW SECONDS
IT'S BROKEN.
WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO?
BUT WHAT WOULD BE THE WORST,
AND I SHOULDN'T EVEN
BRING IT UP,
BUT IF THEY OPENED UP A FILM CAN
AFTER WE'VE ALREADY SHOT.
BUT SO FAR, SO GOOD, THAT WAY.
YOU SOMETIMES WILL SEE,
YOU KNOW,
THEY'RE CROUCHING DOWN,
THEY'RE SHOWING THEIR TEETH,
AND THAT'S
WHAT THEY DO TO EACH OTHER
AND THAT'S WHAT THEY DO
TO THEIR ENEMIES.
ALL OF THE PLAY
HAS A PURPOSE, REALLY,
AND TO BE PART OF THAT,
OF COURSE,
IS QUITE INSIGHTFUL BECAUSE
THEY'RE SHARPENING THEIR SKILLS
FOR HUNTING,
STALKING THEIR PREY,
OR DEFENSIVE BEHAVIOR,
YOU KNOW, IF THEY WERE
STALKED THEMSELVES.
AND YOU SEE ALL THAT.
IT'S ALL WRAPPED UP INTO
ONE SESSION OF PLAY.
[ KROSCHEL MIMICKING
WOLVERINE GRUNTS ]
OH, THEY LIKE THIS!
YEAH! YEAH!
THEY'RE ORPHANS, SO I HAVE
A PROFOUND RESPONSIBILITY
TO GIVE THEM
THE BEST LIFE POSSIBLE.
I DON'T WANT THEM
TO EVER BE BORED,
OTHERWISE I'D FEEL LIKE
I'VE FAILED AS A GUARDIAN.
Narrator:
IT'S BEEN THREE MONTHS
SINCE AUDREY MAGOUN
HAS CHECKED THE CAMERAS
HERE IN THE HIGH COUNTRY.
Magoun: IT'S LIKE GOLD PANNING.
YOU GO BACK TO THESE CAMERAS
AND YOU CAN'T WAIT
TO LOOK AT THEM,
AND IT'S EXCITING.
Narrator:
BUT WHILE WINTER STEPPED OUT,
SUMMER SLIPPED IN...
AND REARRANGED THE FURNITURE.
IT HAS ALL CHANGED.
SO WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR IS JUST
A 2X4 STICKING OUT OF
A TREE.
NONE OF THIS BRUSH WAS VISIBLE.
YEAH, I THINK I'M GONNA HAVE TO
GO BACK AND GET MY GPS.
YOU CAN'T TELL WHERE YOU WERE
IN THE WINTER HERE.
I'M GOING TO MAKE A CIRCLE
AROUND THAT WAY
AND GO BACK OVER.
AH... WE'RE HERE!
RIGHT THERE!
OH, BEAR...
THEY PULLED THE CAMERAS DOWN.
THEY'RE NOT BROKEN
OR CHEWED UP, SO...
YOU CAN SEE
THE CARCASS IS TOTALLY GONE.
ORDINARILY ANYONE PUTTING OUT
A REMOTE CAMERA
WOULD BE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE
BLACK BEARS ON THEIR CAMERA...
WITH ME, I'M DISAPPOINTED.
BLACK BEARS... THAT MEANS
THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE
ANY BAIT LEFT BY THE TIME
THEY'RE FINISHED.
[ BEAR EXHALES ]
[ BRUSHES MICROPHONE ]
[ STATIC ]
I WAS JUST ABOUT READY
TO GIVE UP HOPE
WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, THERE ON
THE SCREEN WAS A WOLVERINE.
HE JUST LAY RIGHT DOWN THERE
AND STARTED CHEWING ON
THIS OLD, DRY BONE.
AND WE'RE RUNNING NEAR THE END
OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS,
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN
THERE'S A PHOTOGRAPH
WITH TWO WOLVERINES IN IT.
SO THAT WAS PRETTY EXCITING.
Narrator: IN THE LONG TRADITION
OF PANNING FOR GOLD IN ALASKA,
TWO WOLVERINES MAY NOT SEEM
LIKE MUCH OF A STRIKE.
BUT THEY'RE A REAL FIND
TO AUDREY,
AND ENOUGH TO KEEP HER GOING.
AS SUMMER MAKES A FLEETING VISIT
TO THE PEAKS OF GLACIER,
RICK YATES CLIMBS UP TO WHERE
IT'S STILL COLD ENOUGH
FOR WOLVERINES.
AFTER MONTHS OF SUBSISTING ON
THE BONES OF WINTER KILLS,
THIS SUPREME SCAVENGER GETS TO
PRACTICE A LITTLE HUNTING.
[ PREY SQUEALING ]
RICK IS ON THE HUNT HIMSELF.
HE MAY NOT BE BATTLING
WIND AND SNOW,
BUT IT'S ACTUALLY HARDER
TO FIND WOLVERINES
AT THIS TIME OF YEAR.
WITHOUT TRACKS TO FOLLOW,
RICK SCOUTS THE OLD
STOMPING GROUNDS OF M1 AND F4
FOR SOME SIGN OF THEM.
Yates:
THIS IS GRINNELL GLACIER.
IT'S ONE OF THE AREAS
WHERE F4 SPENT A LOT OF TIME
IN THE SUMMER...
HOPEFULLY SHE STILL DOES
IF SHE'S STILL ALIVE.
GRINNELL GLACIER
HAS RETREATED SIGNIFICANTLY
IN THE LAST 20 TO 30 YEARS.
AS THIS GLACIER MELTS
AND EVENTUALLY DISAPPEARS,
IT WILL CHANGE THE ECOSYSTEM
OF THIS AREA
BY NOT HOLDING AS MUCH SNOW.
IT MAY NOT BE AS COOL OF A PLACE
FOR A WOLVERINE TO BE
IN THE SUMMERTIME.
Narrator: AND GRINNELL ISN'T
THE ONLY ONE RECEDING.
EVERY ONE OF THE PARK'S
REMAINING GLACIERS
ARE MELTING AWAY
AT A RAPID CLIP...
IN 20 YEARS,
THEY COULD ALL BE GONE.
AND THE WOLVERINES COULD BE LEFT
HIGH AND DRY.
Yates: THERE'S A DIRECT
RELATIONSHIP WITH WOLVERINES
AND DEEP SNOW THAT PERSISTS
INTO MAY AND JUNE.
AS GLOBAL WARMING ACCELERATES
IT MAY AFFECT WHERE
AND IF WOLVERINES DEN.
Narrator: FOR ALL ITS TOUGHNESS,
AT ITS CORE THE WOLVERINE
IS A VULNERABLE CREATURE.
A CHANGE IN WEATHER
MAY BE ALL IT TAKES
FOR THIS RARE SPECIES
TO COME UNDONE.
F4'S TRANSMITTER
HAS GONE OFF-AIR,
SO FINDING HER NOW
MEANS GOING LOW-TECH
THROUGH THE HIGH COUNTRY.
IF SHE IS AROUND
AND HAS KITS THIS YEAR,
A TEMPORARY DEN
CALLED A RENDEZVOUS SITE
MAY BE ONE PLACE
SHE'S BEEN SPENDING HER TIME.
THIS IS ONE OF F4'S
RENDEZVOUS SITES FROM LAST YEAR.
I COLLECTED SCATS FROM HERE,
ACTUALLY I HAD MY SON
CRAWL IN THERE,
HE'S A LOT SKINNIER THAN I AM.
OH, YEAH,
HERE'S A SCAT RIGHT HERE.
Narrator: THE DNA COULD
TELL HIM IF SHE WAS HERE,
BUT IT WON'T PINPOINT WHEN.
THE GROUND OFFERS UP
OTHER CLUES.
YOU CAN SEE SOME
OF THE TEETH MARKS.
COULD BE A SHEEP,
COULD BE A GOAT.
I'M HOPING IT'S STILL F4,
YOU KNOW.
LOOKS LIKE THEY'VE BEEN HERE
AWHILE.
AFTER LAST DECEMBER,
WE DON'T HAVE ANY DATA ON HER.
[ SIGHS ]
Narrator: SIGNALS ARE FADING ON
ALL THE WOLVERINES HERE.
[ STATIC ]
RICK RUNS THROUGH THE CHANNELS
ONE LAST TIME,
SWEEPING THE AIR
AS IF TO CONJURE THEM.
NOTHING.
Yates: I ALWAYS WORRY ABOUT
THESE GUYS,
'CAUSE SOME OF THEM FALL,
SOME OF THEM ARE KILLED
IN AVALANCHES...
IT'S A TOUGH PLACE
TO MAKE A LIVING OUT HERE.
Narrator: RICK HEADS HOME
WITHOUT KNOWING
THE FATE OF HIS OLD FRIENDS,
BUT OUR CAMERA STAYS BEHIND.
CINEMATOGRAPHER JOE PONTECORVO
LINGERS TO CAPTURE
THE LATE AFTERNOON LIGHT.
INSTEAD, HE CAPTURES SOMETHING
COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED...
IT'S F4.
RICK LATER CONFIRMED
HER IDENTITY.
HE MISSED HER BY 20 MINUTES.
COME ON!
OH, MY GOODNESS,
HAVE YOU GROWN!
Narrator:
FALL BRINGS BIG CHANGES
TO THE KROSCHEL HOUSEHOLD,
BUT THE PACE HASN'T SLOWED.
IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO STAY ONE STEP
AHEAD OF A WOLVERINE,
EVEN IN CAPTIVITY.
ALWAYS A DANGEROUS THING TO
BRING A WOLVERINE INTO A CABIN.
OH, MY GLOVES?
SO I'M MISSING ONE GLOVE,
AND NOW I'VE GOT AN IDEA OF
WHERE IT MIGHT HAVE WENT.
I MIGHT...
UH-OH.
YOU WEIGH 38 1/2 POUNDS
NOW, JASPER.
[ BABY TALKING ]
MY GOODNESS,
YOUR TEETH ARE GETTING BIG.
IT'S JUST BEEN
A THREE-RING CIRCUS EVERY DAY
WORKING WITH THESE WOLVERINES,
'CAUSE THEY'VE GOT
SO MUCH ENERGY, YOU KNOW?
AND THEY GOT TO HAVE
SOMETHING TO DO ALL THE TIME.
SOME PEOPLE MIGHT THINK THAT
THIS IS A BIT WACKY...
BUT, YOU KNOW,
HOW ELSE ARE PEOPLE GOING TO
UNDERSTAND THIS ELUSIVE ANIMAL?
THE BIGGEST WEASEL
OF THEM ALL...
SO WHAT IS YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION
OF A WOLVERINE?
FIERCE? VICIOUS?
GOLLY, JEEZ, I DON'T KNOW IF
I CAN BRING THEM OUT
AFTER HEARING ALL
THOSE ADJECTIVES.
WHAT ABOUT YOU, THEY'RE WHAT?
THEY'RE CUTE.
"THEY'RE CUTE?"
AWW, THAT'S... YOU KNOW,
I'M WITH YOU ON THAT.
THAT'S HOW I FEEL
ABOUT THEM.
THE ONLY REASON
I HAVE THESE WOLVERINES
IS FOR AMBASSADORSHIP...
TO EDUCATE,
TO ENLIGHTEN.
THIS IS BANFF TODAY.
LOOK AT THAT CLAW.
I WOULD SAY MAYBE THAT CLAW
IS A QUARTER INCH LONG.
SO ONE WOLVERINE
NEEDS A LOT OF TERRITORY...
THEY FIND IT HERE
IN ALASKA.
BEFORE, THEY WERE KIND OF,
YOU KNOW,
A COUPLE OF NOTCHES
BELOW BIGFOOT,
AND NOW WE CAN HAVE A LITTLE BIT
MORE OF A CLEAR PICTURE
OF WHAT THIS CREATURE
IS ALL ABOUT.
Narrator: AT EIGHT MONTHS OLD,
JASPER IS TESTING
THE WATERS OF ADULTHOOD...
AND TESTING
HIS BOUNDARIES WITH DAD.
Kroschel: IT'S GIVE AND TAKE
ALL THE TIME.
THEY SEEM PLAYFUL,
THEY SEEM LIKE THEY'RE BENIGN,
THAT THEY WON'T HURT ME AND ALL,
BUT THEY COULD.
THEY'RE STILL A WILD ANIMAL
AND I STILL HAVE TO WORK
WITHIN THEIR RULES.
Narrator: JASPER AND BANFF
ARE NEARLY FULL-GROWN,
AND STEVE CAN ONLY MANAGE THEM
ONE AT A TIME NOW.
YET BOTH WILL HAVE
HIS UNYIELDING ATTENTION
FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.
Kroschel: I'VE GOT ALMOST
60 ACRES HERE,
AND OF COURSE, THE BORDER IS
JUST ENDLESS WILDERNESS,
SO WHAT THEY HAVE NOW
IS WHAT THEY'LL
ALWAYS HAVE HERE, I HOPE.
Narrator: ANOTHER STUDY SEASON
IS WRAPPING UP FOR AUDREY,
AND IT'S BEEN A HUGE SUCCESS.
IN TWO YEARS,
27 WOLVERINES
HAVE FOUND THEIR WAY
TO HER CAMERAS,
AND FINALLY ONTO THE MAP
HERE IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA.
Magoun: I PLAN ON
STUDYING WOLVERINES
TILL THE DAY I GO AND MEET
THE GREAT WOLVERINE IN THE SKY,
I GUESS... I JUST...
AT LEAST AS FAR AS I CAN TELL,
MY PASSION HASN'T DIMINISHED
IN THE LEAST.
Narrator: THERE HAVE BEEN NEW
DEVELOPMENTS IN THE LOWER 48.
A MALE WOLVERINE COLLARED BY
RESEARCHERS WITH THE WILDLIFE
CONSERVATION SOCIETY
WAS TRACKED 500 MILES
FROM WYOMING INTO COLORADO,
MARKING THE FIRST KNOWN
WOLVERINE IN THAT STATE
SINCE 1919.
"GULO GULO."
Narrator: IN MICHIGAN,
FIVE YEARS AFTER
THE FIRST SIGHTING,
THIS NIMBLE ACROBAT SEEMS
TO HAVE SETTLED IN
AND IS DOING FINE.
AND IN CALIFORNIA,
THE MALE THAT MADE HEADLINES
IN 2008
HAS BEEN CAPTURED AGAIN
IN THE TAHOE NATIONAL FOREST...
THIS TIME ON VIDEO.
DESPITE THESE ENCOURAGING SIGNS,
THERE MAY ONLY BE
A FEW HUNDRED WOLVERINES
IN THE ENTIRE LOWER 48.
NO ONE KNOWS FOR SURE.
WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT
NO PICTURE OF
THE NORTHERN WILDERNESS
IS COMPLETE WITHOUT THEM.
EACH INSIGHT WE'VE GLEANED
HAS BEEN WRUNG FROM
THE HARD-WON EFFORTS
OF A SMALL BAND OF EXPLORERS
WHO HAVE BATTLED THE YEARS,
THE WEATHER,
AND THE PUNISHING TERRAIN,
AND HAVE MADE THE WOLVERINE
THEIR QUEST.
THESE FEW SEEK MORE THAN
AN EXTRAORDINARY ANIMAL.
THE WOLVERINE HAS BECOME
THEIR EVEREST...
EVERYTHING THEY MEASURE
THEMSELVES AGAINST.
IN HIS BOOK
"THE WOLVERINE WAY,"
DOUG CHADWICK PUTS IT LIKE THIS.
Chadwick: "IF WOLVERINES
HAVE A STRATEGY,"
"IT IS GO HARD AND HIGH AND STEEP
AND NEVER BACK DOWN,"
"NOT EVEN FROM A GRIZZLY, AND
LEAST OF ALL FROM A MOUNTAIN."
"CLIMB EVERYTHING...
TREES, CLIFFS,"
"AVALANCHE CHUTES, SUMMITS."
"EAT EVERYBODY... ALIVE, DEAD,
LONG DEAD..."
"ITS STILL-WARM HEART
OR FROZEN BONES."
"I WILL NEVER REALLY KNOW"
"WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE ONE OF
THESE HUNTER/SCAVENGERS,"
"BUT I'VE LEARNED A LITTLE MORE
ABOUT COURAGE,"
"AND A LOT MORE ABOUT
WHAT 'WILD' MEANS,"
"JUST FROM BEING ON
THE WOLVERINES' TRAIL."
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT
WHAT YOU'VE SEEN
DRIFT TALES OF A DEVIL BEAST.
Man: YOU COULD HEAR THIS GROWL.
IT WAS LIKE, OKAY, WE'VE GOT
SOMETHING REAL BAD HERE.
Woman:
THEY PULLED THE CAMERAS DOWN.
THE CARCASS IS TOTALLY GONE.
Narrator:
THE WOLVERINE HAS BEEN BRANDED
WITH A HELL OF A REPUTATION.
BUT WHO, REALLY,
IS THIS DEMON OF THE NORTH?
[ WOLVERINE SQUEALS ]
Man: WAIT YOUR TURN, NOW.
THEY'RE NOT POLITE.
Narrator: ONE MAN HAS COME
TO KNOW THEM AS FAMILY.
ARM LOAD OF WOLVERINES.
COME ON, LET'S GO.
Narrator: WHILE OTHERS HAVE
SPENT YEARS CHASING A PHANTOM.
I THINK SHE'S THAT WAY.
Man: IT'S ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE
FOR ANY HUMAN BEING
TO KEEP UP WITH A WOLVERINE.
Woman: THERE SHE GOES, FAST.
Man: WHAT WOLVERINES CAN DO
IS JUST BEYOND HUMAN.
Narrator: THOSE WHO HAVE SET OUT
ON THE WOLVERINE'S TRAIL
HAVE MET A CREATURE
COMPLETELY AT ODDS
WITH ITS DIABOLICAL IMAGE.
Man: THEY'RE SOCIABLE,
THEY'RE BRIGHT,
THEY FIGURE STUFF OUT,
AND SUDDENLY THEY BECOME
A REAL ANIMAL FOR US.
Narrator: OUT OF THE SHADOWS,
A MARVEL OF THE WILD
IS EMERGING,
WITH A FIERCE APPETITE
FOR SURVIVAL...
AND FOR SURPRISE.
[ ANIMAL SNARLING ]
Narrator:
DEEP IN MONTANA'S BACKCOUNTRY,
ONE OF THE MOST ELUSIVE
CREATURES ON EARTH
HAS SLIPPED THROUGH THE SNOW
AND INTO A TRAP
SET BY BIOLOGISTS
WITH THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE.
IT'S A PHANTOM
WITH A FEROCIOUS REPUTATION
THEY'VE BEEN TRACKING
FOR ALMOST A YEAR.
Man: WHOA!
THAT'S GOOD.
AAH! YEAH, BUDDY!
[ CHUCKLING ]
[ WOLVERINE SNARLING ]
I GOT TO BELIEVE IT'S M-3.
Narrator: IT'S A WOLVERINE...
A MALE THEY CALL "M3."
Man: A BIG BAD-ASS GUY,
HE'S DARK COLORED,
CHOCOLATY BROWN, FAT,
HEALTHY LOOKING GUY
IN THE PRIME OF HIS LIFE... M3.
Man: A WOLVERINE
CAN CROSS A TOPO MAP
LIKE WE CROSS A STREET.
AT SOME POINT
HE GOT IT IN HIS HEAD
THAT THIS IS WHERE
HE WAS GOING TO GO.
AND IF THAT TAKES YOU OVER
THE TOP, THEN SO BE IT.
Man: HE CLIMBED MOUNT CLEVELAND.
HE CLIMBED
THE HIGHEST PEAK IN THE PARK!
HE WENT TO THE TOP OF IT
AT THE END OF JANUARY.
HE GAINED 4,900 VERTICAL FEET
IN 90 MINUTES.
Man: I MEAN, THAT'S SOME
PRETTY FORMIDABLE TERRAIN.
THE KIND OF STUFF WHERE EVEN
THE GOATS WERE LOOKING AT HIM,
GOING, "DON'T GO, DON'T DO IT,
MAN, YOU'RE GOING TO DIE."
[ BOTH LAUGHING ]
Narrator:
THE WOLVERINE IS PERHAPS
THE LEAST-KNOWN MAMMAL
IN ALL OF NORTH AMERICA,
AND ONE OF THE LEAST STUDIED
LARGE CARNIVORES IN THE WORLD.
BUT FOR FIVE YEARS,
A SMALL TEAM
IN GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
HAS BEEN TRYING TO LEARN
EVERYTHING THEY CAN ABOUT THEM,
BRAVING ROCK AND ICE,
WIND AND SNOW...
A NO-MAN'S LAND
OF WINTER WILDERNESS.
Man: NOT THAT MANY PEOPLE WANT
TO GO OUT AT 20¢ BELOW
AND INTO A 50-MILE-AN-HOUR WIND
AND SEE WHAT A WOLVERINE
IS DOING,
BUT I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING
THAT OFFERS ME MORE FREEDOM
AND MORE ADVENTURE
AND MORE SENSE OF DISCOVERY.
Narrator: DOUG CHADWICK
SEEKS OUT REMARKABLE STORIES
OF THE NATURAL WORLD
AND BRINGS THEM TO THE PUBLIC.
HE HAS 10 BOOKS AND HUNDREDS
OF ARTICLES TO HIS NAME.
FROM HAWAII TO THE HIMALAYAS,
HE HAS TRAVELED THE GLOBE.
BUT IT'S WHEN HE RETURNS HOME
TO MONTANA
AND HITS THE WOLVERINE TRAIL
THAT DOUG FEELS HE'S ON
SACRED GROUND.
NOW, HE'S PUTTING HIS PASSION
TO THE PAGE
IN A NEW BOOK ABOUT THEM.
THE REASON I'M WRITING
ABOUT WOLVERINES IS BECAUSE
SO LITTLE IS KNOWN
ABOUT THESE DOGGONE ANIMALS.
THEY'RE SOCIABLE,
THEY'RE BRIGHT,
THEY FIGURE STUFF OUT.
THEY'RE COOL AS ANYTHING.
SO I WANT TO BECOME A WOLVERINE.
I WANT TO GET DOWN
ON ALL FOURS
AND SEE THE WORLD
THROUGH ITS EYES,
FEEL IT THROUGH ITS FEET,
AND SMELL IT
THROUGH ITS NOSE.
FIRST OF ALL, I'M NOT ALL
THAT FAR OFF THE GROUND.
I WEIGH ABOUT 30 POUNDS,
I'M THREE FEET LONG,
BUT I'VE GOT PAWS ALMOST
THE SIZE OF MY HAND HERE,
AND I'VE GOT FOUR OF THEM,
AND THAT'S A LOT OF SNOWSHOES
FOR 30 POUNDS.
I'M SPREADING MY WEIGHT OUT
REAL EVENLY ON THE SNOW.
I CAN GET PLACES
ACROSS DEEP SNOW
THAT OTHER ANIMALS ARE GOING
TO STRUGGLE MIGHTILY WITH.
I'VE GOT CRAMPONS...
PRETTY GOOD SIZE CLAWS,
SLIGHTLY CURVED ON THE EDGE
OF EACH OF THOSE FIVE TOES.
SO I GOT 20 OF THOSE.
AND THAT'S WHY I CAN GO
UP AN ICEFALL
OR A SHEER COLUMN
ON THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN
AND UP OVER THE DIVIDE,
BACK OVER THE DIVIDE
IN THE MIDDLE OF JANUARY.
I'VE GOT A NOSE
THAT CAN DETECT A CARCASS
20 FEET UNDER THE SNOW,
BURIED IN AN AVALANCHE.
I'VE GOT A FUR COAT
THAT DRAPES DOWN MY SIDE
AND MAKES ME VIRTUALLY
IMMUNE TO THE COLD.
WHEN THEY LIE ON THE SNOW,
THEY DON'T MELT THE SNOW...
THAT'S HOW GOOD
THEIR INSULATION IS.
THE OTHER THING IT TAKES
TO BUILD A WOLVERINE
IS JUST A TON OF ATTITUDE.
YOU'RE NOT AFRAID OF VERY MUCH,
YOU DON'T BACK DOWN
FROM VERY MUCH.
WHAT IS REQUIRED TO GO LOOK
A GRIZZLY BEAR IN ITS FACE,
WHICH IS LIKE THAT, AND SAY,
"YEAH, I THINK I CAN TAKE YOU,
YOU LOOK LIKE A WUSS?"
[ GRUNTS ]
Narrator:
WOLVERINES INHABIT A UNIVERSE
THAT IS RUGGED, REMOTE,
AND FIERCELY RAW.
WINTER IS WHAT WORKS FOR THEM.
YET THEY'RE TIED TO IT IN WAYS
WE DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND.
THEY'RE ONE OF THE LARGEST
MEMBERS OF THE WEASEL FAMILY...
DESCENDENTS OF AN ICE AGE WEASEL
THAT ONCE ROAMED
THE FROZEN CONTINENT.
TODAY, WOLVERINES ARE SCATTERED
ACROSS THE FAR NORTH,
FROM ALASKA AND CANADA,
TO SCANDINAVIA AND SIBERIA.
IN THE LOWER 48,
THEIR STRONGHOLD IS
A MILLION-ACRE WILDERNESS
WHERE WINTER IS CRYSTALLIZED
IN ITS VERY NAME...
GLACIER NATIONAL PARK.
FOR UP TO NINE MONTHS
OF THE YEAR,
WINDS RIDING IN FROM THE WEST
LASH THE PEAKS
AT 80 MILES PER HOUR
AND WHIP UP WALLS OF SNOW
SEVEN STORIES HIGH.
MOST ROADS HERE
STAY CLOSED
UNTIL JUNE.
IN 2008, CREWS WERE BLASTING
SNOW OFF LOGAN PASS
FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY.
THAT WAS A GOOD YEAR
FOR WOLVERINES.
THERE'S NO BETTER PLACE
TO GAIN A FOOTHOLD
INTO THEIR SECRETIVE WORLD.
I THINK SHE'S THAT WAY.
Narrator: JEFF COPELAND IS ONE
OF THE WORLD'S LEADING EXPERTS
AND AT THE HELM OF
THE GLACIER WOLVERINE PROJECT.
Copeland: GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
PROBABLY HAS
THE HIGHEST DENSITY
OF WOLVERINES
THAT WE KNOW OF
IN THE CONTIGUOUS UNITED STATES.
WE ESTIMATE THAT THERE'S
ABOUT 40 TO 45 WOLVERINES,
COMPARED TO
200 TO 300 GRIZZLY BEARS.
WE ALWAYS KIND OF MAKE FUN OF
GRIZZLY BEARS
BECAUSE THEY SLEEP ALL WINTER...
THEY'RE IN A NICE WARM HOLE
SOMEWHERE SLEEPING
THE WINTER OFF.
BUT THE WOLVERINE IS THE GUY
THAT'S, THEY'RE UP INTO THIS,
IN THIS COUNTRY.
THEY'RE ALL ABOUT SNOW.
Narrator: A LITTLE WOLVERINE
SEEMS TO RUB OFF ON THOSE
WHO STUDY THEM...
THEY DON'T DISCOURAGE EASILY.
BIOLOGIST RICK YATES
HEADS THE FIELD TEAM
FOR THE GLACIER STUDY.
INCREDIBLY, ACROSS AN AREA
LARGER THAN RHODE ISLAND,
THE TEAM WAS ABLE TO CAPTURE
MORE THAN HALF OF
THE PARK'S ESTIMATED POPULATION,
FITTING 27 WOLVERINES WITH
TRANSMITTERS AND GPS COLLARS.
PIN POINTING THEIR LOCATIONS
EVERY FIVE MINUTES
ALLOWED THE TEAM
AN UNPRECEDENTED
REAL-TIME VIEW OF WOLVERINES
ON THE LANDSCAPE.
BREAKING TRAIL
FOR THOUSANDS OF MILES,
RICK AND VOLUNTEERS
SUCH AS BUCK HASSON
FOLLOW THE GPS WAYPOINTS,
SEARCHING FOR
EVIDENCE OF RECENT ACTIVITY.
THEY'RE ON DANGEROUS GROUND.
WOLVERINE COUNTRY
IS ALSO AVALANCHE COUNTRY.
Man: WOLVERINES DON'T HIBERNATE,
AND SO THEY'RE OUT
ALL WINTER LONG
AND THEY'RE FEEDING ON ANIMALS
THAT ARE KILLED BY
AVALANCHES AND FALLS.
SO THEY'RE PICKING UP
THE PIECES OF OTHER ANIMALS
THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT
THROUGH THE WINTER.
Man: WHAT DO YOU THINK, RICK?
Yates: WELL, THERE'S MORE LEFT
OF THIS GOAT THAN A LOT OF 'EM.
THESE ARE THE REMAINS OF
A MOUNTAIN GOAT
THAT A WOLVERINE HAD CONSUMED.
AND THIS IS ALL THAT'S LEFT.
IT'S INTERESTING,
THEY DIDN'T EAT THE TEETH.
I WAS ACTUALLY SURPRISED TO FIND
THIS PART OF THE UPPER MANDIBLE
AND THIS PART OF
THE PELVIC BONE.
THEY JUST MUST NOT HAVE BEEN
HUNGRY THAT DAY.
Chadwick: ITS MOST COMMON NAME
IS "THE GLUTTON."
GULO GULO, WHICH MEANS
"GLUTTONOUS GLUTTON."
YOU JUST CAN'T GET ANY MORE
GLUTTONY THAN THAT.
THEY'LL TAKE ON A MOUNTAIN GOAT,
A BIG HORNED SHEEP.
THEY'LL PROBABLY GET IN TUSSLES
WITH WOLVES AND COUGARS
OVER CARCASSES.
THEY'VE BEEN SEEN BRINGING DOWN
FULL-GROWN MOOSE.
THAT'S A PRETTY IMPRESSIVE
OPERATION.
THAT'S LIKE A HOUSE CAT
BRINGING DOWN A DEER.
WE'VE AUTOPSIED A CARCASS THAT,
WHEN YOU FEEL THE STOMACH,
IT IS LIKE A BIG BAG OF GRAVEL,
AND IT'S ALL BONES.
EVEN OLD,
BEAT-UP LOOKING BONES
LEFT ON THE GROUND
STILL HAVE OILS AND FATS
IN THEM.
AND A WOLVERINE HAS THE JAWS
TO CRUNCH THOSE UP.
HOW CAN IT SURVIVE
WHEN WINTER
COMES AS EARLY AS OCTOBER
AND DOESN'T LEAVE UNTIL JUNE?
AND I THINK SOMETIMES
IT'S A HEAP OF BONES...
IT'S A RUBBLE OF BONES
THAT GETS THEM THROUGH.
Narrator: AFTER FIVE YEARS
OF FIELDWORK,
ASIDE FROM THE WOLVERINES
THEY'VE CAUGHT IN TRAPS,
THE GLACIER TEAM HAS GOTTEN ONLY
A GLIMPSE OR TWO
OF THE ANIMALS THEMSELVES.
BUT THE REST OF US
MAY HAVE SEEN ONE
FROM THE COMFORT OF OUR COUCH.
[ APPLAUSE ]
I DON'T THINK IN ALL THE TIME
WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS SHOW,
THAT WE'VE HAD THIS ANIMAL
ON THIS SHOW.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE
IN THE AUDIENCE
KNOW WHAT
THIS ANIMAL IS.
I'M TRYING TO DO BIGGER
AND BETTER THINGS
ON THE PROGRAM
AFTER ALL TH ESE 27 YEARS
I'VE DONE THIS WITH YOU, JOHNNY.
THAT'S A WOLVERINE.
A WOLVERINE?
IT'S THE ONLY TAME WOLVERINE
THAT I KNOW OF IN THE WORLD.
AND IT'S STEVE KROSCHEL
WHO HAS DONE IT.
SEEING ONE IS RARE ENOUGH,
BUT SEEING TWO
IS PRETTY UNUSUAL.
Narrator: STEVE KROSCHEL HAS
SPENT 25 YEARS WITH WOLVERINES.
Kroschel: I WAS ON A QUEST
SINCE I WAS A KID
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT
THIS MYSTERIOUS ANIMAL.
AND THE MORE I LEARNED,
THE MORE QUESTIONS I HAD.
Narrator: STEVE WAS
A BUDDING WILDLIFE FILMMAKER
IN THE 1980s WHEN HE FIRST CAME
TO ALASKA FROM MINNESOTA.
OVER THE YEARS,
HE'S WORKED ON MORE THAN
100 FILMS,
FROM THE FEATURE
"NEVER CRY WOLF"
TO THE DOCUMENTARY SERIES
"PLANET EARTH."
FROM HIS HOME
JUST OUTSIDE OF HAINES,
STEVE HAS GROWN
A 60-ACRE WILDLIFE REFUGE
WHERE HE CARES FOR
INJURED AND ORPHANED ANIMALS
AND TEACH ES VISITORS ABOUT
ALASKA'S NATIVE SPECIES.
BUT FOR STEVE,
RIGHT FROM THE START
IT WAS ALL ABOUT WOLVERINES.
HE'S ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE
IN THE WORLD
TO RAISE THEM IN CAPTIVITY.
YET IT'S BEEN 16 YEARS
SINCE HE'S HAD KITS.
GETTING WOLVERINES TO BREED
IS NOTORIOUSLY DIFFICULT.
IT'S JUST ANOTHER PART
OF THEIR MYSTIQUE.
Kroschel: A WOLVERINE BIRTH
IN CAPTIVITY
IS JUST A FEW NOTCHES BELOW
A PANDA BIRTH OR A POLAR BEAR.
AND SO IT'S A BIG THING,
IT'S A BIG DEAL.
Narrator: THIS YEAR,
STEVE HAS HIGH HOPES.
ON HIS COMPOUND
HE HAS TWO MALES
NAMED SKIPPY AND SPARK,
A FEMALE NAMED STAR
THAT HE RAISED FROM BIRTH,
AND JENNY, ANOTHER FEMALE
ON LOAN FROM THE ALASKA ZOO.
AS STEVE HAS BEEN ABLE TO RAISE
THREE LITTERS,
THE ZOO IS HOPING HIS FACILITY
MAY OFFER JENNY A BETTER
ENVIRONMENT FOR COURTSHIP.
AND SHE DID MATE...
BUT THAT'S STILL NO GUARANTEE
THAT SHE'LL ACTUALLY HAVE KITS.
IF SHE IS PREGNANT, SHE'D BE DUE
TO GIVE BIRTH ANY DAY NOW.
STEVE KEEPS CONSTANT VIGIL.
Kroschel: THERE'S SOMETHING
GOING ON IN THERE.
THIS IS 10 DAYS NOW.
IT'S TAKING A TOLL ON ME.
I'VE BEEN NERVOUS
AND STRESSED OUT.
IT'S TORTUROUS.
I DON'T KNOW...
THERE'S NO REMOTE CAMERA
IN THIS DEN...
HAVE NO CLUE AS TO
WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON.
SO I'M GOING TO GO OUT
AND TRY TO FEED
AND SEE IF I CAN GET
MORE CLUES.
[ KITS SQUEALING ]
Narrator: AT LAST...
TWO OF THE RAREST BABIES
IN THE WORLD.
BUT THEY AREN'T JENNY'S.
HIS OLD FEMALE, STAR,
IS THE MOTHER.
MAYBE IT WAS
THE INTRODUCTION OF JENNY
THAT SPURRED STAR
AFTER ALL TH ESE YEARS
TO SHOW HER DOMINANCE
AND GIVE BIRTH...
BUT WE CAN ONLY SPECULATE.
THE DELIVERY
WAS STAR'S FINAL ACT...
SHE DIED JUST MOMENTS AFTER,
AND NOW STEVE HAS TWO KITS
WITHOUT A MOTHER.
Kroschel:
I'LL START WITH THIS ONE.
Narrator:
HE AND HIS SON, GARRETT,
WILL HAVE TO STEP UP
AND BECOME WOLVERINE PARENTS.
Kroschel: THE DEMANDING
WOLVERINE KITS.
Narrator: STEVE WILL HAVE TO
DRAW ON
ALL HIS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
TO RAISE THESE TWO.
IN THE BACK OF HIS MIND
IS A DAUNTING STATISTIC...
OUT OF THE 11 WOLVERINES
BORN IN AMERICAN ZOOS LAST YEAR,
ONLY ONE HAS SURVIVED.
[ KITS GRUNTING ]
Woman: WOULDN'T IT BE COOL
IF WE SAW A WOLVERINE
JUST TRUCKING RIGHT ACROSS THERE
RIGHT NOW?
Narrator:
BIOLOGIST AUDREY MAGOUN
KNOWS AS MUCH ABOUT WOLVERINES
AS ANYONE ALIVE.
FOR 30 YEARS,
SHE HAS BEEN WORKING WITH
THE DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME,
CRISSCROSSING ALASKA
TO STUDY HOW WOLVERINES SURVIVE
IN THIS VAST FRONTIER.
HER WORK BEGAN IN 1978
WHEN PROPOSALS FOR OIL
DEVELOPMENT ON THE NORTH SLOPE
SENT AUDREY UP TO THE TUNDRA
AS A YOUNG GRADUATE STUDENT.
PART OF HER JOB WAS TO CAPTURE
AND TAG WOLVERINES
TO ASSESS HOW DEVELOPMENT
WOULD AFFECT THEM.
SHE WAS HOOKED.
Magoun: I GET ASKED
THE QUESTION,
WHY AM I EXCITED OR PASSIONATE
ABOUT WOLVERINES?
PROBABLY I'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO
ANSWER THAT SATISFACTORILY
UNTIL SOMEONE CAN ACTUALLY BE
NEAR A WOLVERINE.
THERE'S SOMETHING
ABOUT WOLVERINES
THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM
ANY OTHER ANIMALS.
AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT,
THERE'S THE PLACES THEY LIVE.
THE NORTHERN WILDERNESS AREAS
THAT I LOVE
ARE WHAT WOLVERINES LOVE.
AND IT COULD BE
A CIRCULAR THING...
I MAY LOVE THOSE AREAS
BECAUSE WOLVERINES LIVE THERE,
I DON'T KNOW.
ALL I KNOW IS,
THERE'S SOMETHING
ABOUT THE ESSENCE OF WOLVERINES
THAT MAKES THINGS, FOR ME,
WILD AND SPECIAL.
Narrator: WOLVERINES SEEK OUT
THE TOUGHEST TERRAIN,
AND AS THEY'VE ALWAYS
BEEN SCARCE,
IT'S NO WONDER THEY'RE AMONG
THE LEAST STUDIED ANIMALS
ON THE PLANET.
THEY ONCE RANGED
AS FAR SOUTH AS NEW MEXICO.
TODAY, IN THE LOWER 48,
THEY'VE RETREATED TO
THE ROCKIES...
THE WILDEST COUNTRY LEFT.
BUT THEIR NORTH AMERICAN
TERRITORY STILL EXTENDS UP
INTO THE MOST REMOTE REACHES
OF CANADA AND ALASKA.
Man: WE'VE GOT TO GO UP IN
THE SCENERY VALLEY
AND TRACK THAT FEMALE.
Narrator: THIS YEAR, WITH
HER HUSBAND, PAT VALKENBURG,
AUDREY IS FAR FROM THE TUNDRA,
SEARCHING FOR WOLVERINES
IN THE COASTAL WILDERNESS OF
ALASKA'S SOUTH EAST.
THEY'RE TRAPPED FOR FUR HERE,
BUT UNTIL NOW,
THERE'S BEEN NO RESEARCH
IN THIS AREA
TO HELP THE STATE MANAGE THEM.
SO FAR,
THEY'VE RADIO-COLLARED FIVE,
AND TODAY THEY'RE SCOUTING
FOR ONE THAT MAY HAVE KITS...
ACROSS A STUDY AREA OF SOME
3,600 SQUARE MILES.
Magoun:
I'VE ONLY SEEN WOLVERINES
PROBABLY FOUR TIMES
IN THE 30 SOME YEARS
I'VE LIVED IN ALASKA.
TRYING TO GET A VISUAL
ON A WOLVERINE
IS A MATTER OF LUCK...
OF JUST THE DAY AND THE TIME
YOU PICK TO DO IT, HE HAPPENS,
OR SHE HAPPENS,
TO BE UP ABOVE THE TREE LINE.
Narrator: THEY PICK UP A SIGNAL
FROM ONE OF THE COLLARS.
Magoun: THERE SHE GOES... FAST!
Valkenburg: YEAH, OKAY,
FROM THE SIGNAL, IT SOUNDED LIKE
THAT SHE'S IN THE SAME PLACE
WHERE SHE HAS THE KITS NOW,
WHICH IS OFF MY LEFT WING.
THERE'S PROBABLY
A PRETTY GOOD CHANCE
THAT SHE'S DEEP DOWN
AND UNDER THE SNOW.
Narrator: THE RADIO COLLARS
DETAIL THE MOVEMENTS
OF JUST A FEW INDIVIDUALS.
AUDREY HAS ANOTHER PLAN...
ONE THAT BRINGS WOLVERINES
TO HER.
WITH HER FIELD ASSISTANT,
DAVE BENITZ,
AUDREY IS INSTALLING A SYSTEM OF
39 REMOTE CAMERAS
IN THIS PATCH OF
THE TONGASS NATIONAL FOREST.
SHE'S USING NEW TECHNOLOGY
TO CAPTURE AND IDENTIFY
HER SUBJECTS
WITHOUT TOUCHING THEM AT ALL.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR TWO TREES THAT
ARE ABOUT 10 FEET APART.
HOW ABOUT THAT BIG ONE
DOWN THERE?
Narrator: AUDREY'S DISCOVERED
THAT EACH WOLVERINE
HAS A CHEST PATTERN
AS UNIQUE AS FINGERPRINTS.
BUT MAKING A POSITIVE I.D.
WILL TAKE PRECISION
IN HER SET-UP.
THE SLOW PART OF THE JOB
IS GETTING THESE CAMERAS
JUST RIGHT.
Narrator: THIS IS
THE SECOND YEAR OF HER STUDY.
IN THE FIRST YEAR ALONE
SHE IDENTIFIED 21 WOLVERINES
THAT USE THIS AREA.
WITH STILLS AND VIDEO,
SHE'S ASSEMBLING A PORTRAIT OF
THE WOLVERINES THAT LIVE HERE.
FOR HER, A PICTURE IS PERSONAL.
Magoun: THIS GUY,
HE'S MY TROUBLEMAKER.
THIS IS "ZIG-ZAG,"
AND I TRIED ALL WINTER
TO CATCH THIS WOLVERINE,
AND NEVER DID.
"HOOT," HE'S A LITTLE BIT SHY,
BUT NOW HE'LL LET
HIS PICTURE TAKEN.
"SARGE"... HE DIDN'T HESITATE
AT ALL
MOVING RIGHT IN WITH THE CAMERA
FLASHING AND EVERYTHING
AND START TRYING TO
GET THE BAIT,
AND HE WORKS REALLY HARD
IN GETTING THE BAIT.
HE'S THE ONE
THAT'LL JUMP UP THERE
AND HANG ON TO A DRY OLD BONE
AND SWING ON THIS BONE
AND WORK ON IT,
TRYING TO GET IT DOWN.
HE'S A BOLD,
NOT VERY CAUTIOUS WOLVERINE.
Narrator: LEFT TO WORK
QUIETLY ON THEIR OWN,
THE CAMERAS PROVIDE AUDREY
WITH THE BASICS...
THE WHO, WHAT, WHEN, AND WHERE
OF A WOLVERINE POPULATION STUDY,
DOCUMENTING WHO EMERGES
WHEN HUMANS LEAVE...
AND NOT JUST IN ALASKA.
DOWN IN THE LOWER 48,
THEY'RE SEEING GHOSTS.
MICHIGAN IS CALLED
"THE WOLVERINE STATE,"
BUT NO ONE HAD SEEN ONE IN
THE WILD HERE FOR ZOO YEARS.
THEN, AFTER A REPORTED SIGHTING
IN 2004
IN THE WOODS NEAR HIS HOME,
SCHOOLTEACHER JEFF FORD
DECIDED TO SET UP A VIDEO CAMERA
WITH NIGHT VISION.
AND OUT OF THE DARKNESS,
A PHANTOM COMES TO LIFE.
HIGH IN THE SIERRA NEVADA,
THERE'S BREAKING NEWS...
Man: SCIENTISTS SAY THIS ONE
PRIZED PICTURE
PROVES THAT AT LEAST
ONE WOLVERINE
IS NOW LIVING IN THE SIERRA.
IT IS THE SIERRA'S
FIRST DOCUMENTED WOLVERINE
SINCE 1922.
AND TONIGHT
IT IS SENDING SHOCKWAVES
THROUGH THE SCIENCE WORLD.
Woman: WHEN YOU SAW IT,
WHAT WAS THE FIRST REACTION
THAT WENT THROUGH YOUR MIND?
THE STEREOTYPICAL
"THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE"...
ENTIRE SHOCK.
THERE'S NO WAY THAT I COULD
POSSIBLY HAVE DOCUMENTED
A WOLVERINE
IN TAHOE NATIONAL FOREST.
Narrator:
WHAT DO THESE SIGHTINGS MEAN?
HAVE WOLVERINES BEEN HIDING IN
THE BACKCOUNTRY ALL THIS TIME,
DISCOVERED AT LAST
BY NEW TECHNOLOGY?
OR ARE THEY LONE TRAVELERS,
MOVING BACK TO RECLAIM
THEIR OLD HAUNTS?
UP IN GLACIER NATIONAL PARK,
RICK YATES AND BUCK HASSON
ARE STILL WORKING ON THEIR OWN
PIECE OF THE WOLVERINE PUZZLE.
Hasson: HEY, RICK, HERE WE GO...
HERE WE GO!
Yates: SO THIS LOOKS LIKE
A 1-2-1.
Hasson: YEAH, 1-2-1,
THERE WE GO... BEAUTIFUL.
Yates: HERE'S ANOTHER SET.
Hasson: OH, YEAH.
YOU SEEING THAT?
THIS IS A FRONT, FRONT,
REAR, REAR.
RIGHT THERE, SEE?
HERE'S A FRONT, FRONT,
REAR, REAR.
AND IT'S WHAT I CALL
"THE WOLVERINE LOPE."
HE'S MOVING,
HE'S GOING SOMEWHERE HERE.
HIS REAR FEET ARE AHEAD OF
HIS FRONT FEET.
AND THIS IS HOW THIS WONDERFUL
ANIMAL COVERS 20 MILES IN A DAY.
HE JUST...
HE'S MOVING RIGHT NOW.
I LOVE IT!
[ CHUCKLES ]
THAT SAME CRITTER COULD BE ON
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PARK NOW.
Narrator: PUSHING OFF
BOTH REAR LEGS TOGETHER,
THEN FRONT LEGS TOGETHER,
THE WOLVERINE'S SIGNATURE LOPE
HELPS THEM ATTAIN MORE SPEED
WITH LESS APPARENT EFFORT.
THEY DEVOUR THE LANDSCAPE
AT A NEAR-CONSTANT
FOUR MILES PER HOUR,
NO MATTER WHAT THE TERRAIN...
FLATLAND OR MOUNTAIN.
THE GLACIER STUDY RAN OUT
OF FUNDS IN 2007,
BUT RICK AND HIS CREW OF
VOLUNTEERS CARRY ON, ANYWAY...
COMPLETELY ON THEIR OWN.
HE AND BUCK SCOUR
THE AIR AND RIDGE LINE
FOR TRACES OF ANYONE
THEY MIGHT RECOGNIZE.
ALL IS QUIET.
ONE PARTICULAR COUPLE...
A MALE, M1; AND A FEMALE, F4...
CALLS THIS PLACE HOME.
THE TEAM GOT TO KNOW THEM MORE
AS PHANTOMS THAN FLESH
DURING THE STUDY,
YET TH ROUGH THE YEARS
AND OVER THE AIRWAVES,
THEY MADE A CONNECTION.
PRETTY GOOD SIZE.
THOSE ARE WOLVERINE TRACKS.
LOOK AT THIS.
THAT ONE HAS FIVE TOES.
THAT LITTLE DIGIT
RIGHT THERE SHOWS UP.
LOOK AT THAT.
Yates: EVERY TRACK I SEE,
I WONDER, IS THIS M1?
IS THIS F4'S TRACK?
SHE'S THE MAIN FEMALE
IN THIS AREA.
SHE WAS A GOOD MOM,
HAD KITS THREE OUT OF
THE FIVE YEARS.
Narrator:
WHILE FEBRUARY STORMS RAGED,
F4 CARED FOR HER NEWBORNS
IN A COZY FORTRESS,
TEN FEET BENEATH THE SURFACE.
TO KEEP THEIR BABIES INSULATED
AND PROTECTED,
FEMALES ALWAYS CHOOSE DEN SITES
THAT HOLD DEEP SNOW
WELL INTO MAY.
WITH SNOW COVER
CHANGING RADICALLY
FROM YEAR TO YEAR,
JUST HOW THEY FIND THESE SPOTS
AND KNOW THE SNOW WILL LAST
IS ANYONE'S GUESS.
MAYBE IT'S MATERNAL INSTINCT.
BUT WHATEVER IT IS,
IT'S SOMETHING FUNDAMENTAL
TO WOLVERINES.
Yates: YOU KNOW, IT'D BE NICE TO
KNOW IF IT WAS F4.
WE SPENT FIVE YEARS
FOLLOWING HER AROUND,
AND, YOU KNOW, HER TRANSMITTER
QUIT TWO YEARS AGO,
I GUESS?
SHE STILL HAS HER EAR TAG,
AND OF COURSE WE HAVE
A DNA PRINT FROM HER,
BUT IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW
IF SHE'S STILL AROUND.
I MEAN, YOU GET TO KNOW
THESE GUYS,
AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN,
YOU DON'T KNOW
WHAT THEY'RE DOING ANYMORE
OR IF THEY'RE ALIVE
OR HAVING KITS,
AND YOU WISH YOU COULD JUST KIND
OF TRACK THEM
FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME.
Narrator: DOUG CHADWICK
AND DAVE MURRAY
HAVE BEEN IN THE BACKCOUNTRY
FOR DAYS,
AND SIGN OF THEIR QUARRY
IS SCARCE.
BUT THE TEAM PRESSES ON, DRIVEN
BY WOLVERINE-LIKE TENACITY.
Chadwick: LIKE MOST OF THE GUYS
ON THE PROJECT,
WHAT I REALLY WANT TO DO
IS JUST BE A WOLVERINE.
I WANT TO GO WHERE I WANT TO GO,
DO WHAT I WANT TO DO,
BITE WHO I WANT TO BITE,
AND CLIMB WHAT I WANT TO CLIMB.
Narrator: THIS WORK TAKES
A RARE BREED OF FRONTIERSMEN...
THOSE WITH 19th-CENTURY
BACKCOUNTRY SKILLS
AND A DASH OF
21st-CENTURY SCIENCE.
THEY HUNT FOR ELECTRONIC SIGNALS
AND SET TRAPS FOR DNA.
Man: THAT'S WOLVERINEY!
I REALLY LIKE THIS ONE.
Chadwick: SO WE CAME IN FEBRUARY
AND PUT A QUARTER OF A DEER
THIS HIGH,
AND THE ONLY ONE THAT, WE HOPE,
IS ABLE TO CLIMB UP TO THE TOP
IS A WOLVERINE.
SO WE'VE GOT GUN BRUSHES,
WHICH ARE NICE GRABBY WIRES...
PUT THEM ALL AROUND
SO WHOEVER CLIMBS UP
IS BOUND TO LEAVE
A LITTLE BIT OF FUR FOR US.
THIS IS...
A TREASURE TROVE
OF WOLVERINE DNA, WE'RE HOPING.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
IT MEANS YOU CAN NOT ONLY TELL
WHO THE MOTHER AND FATHER ARE,
BUT YOU CAN START TO SEE
HOW MANY WOLVERINES
YOU CAN FIT INTO ONE AREA.
AND WHAT WE'RE FINDING
FROM TRACKS AND RADIO SIGN,
IS YOU CAN'T FIT
VERY MANY WOLVERINES
EVEN IN A PLACE AS HUGE AS THIS
BECAUSE THEY HAVE
ENORMOUS TERRITORIES.
Narrator: A WOLVERINE PATROLS
ABOUT 500 SQUARE MILES...
A HOME TURF LARGER THAN
AN AVERAGE GRIZZLY'S...
NOT BAD FOR AN ANIMAL
WITH TEN-INCH LEGS.
AND ALL THAT VAST RANGE
BELONGS TO JUST ONE MALE
AND TWO OR THREE FEMALES.
HOW ON EARTH DO THEY FIND EACH
OTHER ACROSS SUCH A DISTANCE?
THEY NAVIGATE BY
MEMORY AND MARKING,
STAKING AN INVISIBLE
SIGNPOST WITH EVERY STRIDE.
BUT THE SOCIAL SIDE
OF WOLVERINES
CAME AS A COMPLETE SURPRISE.
Chadwick: IT WAS THOUGHT THAT
WOLVERINES ARE GNARLY, SURLY,
THE ONLY TIME THEY GET TOGETHER
IS TO BREED.
BUT WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS
THEY'RE ABLE TO STAY IN THEIR
PARENTS' TERRITORY
THEIR FIRST YEAR
AND LEARN FROM THEM
WHERE THE GOOD SPOTS ARE,
LEARN HOW TO BE A WOLVERINE
FROM DAD...
HOW TO BE A BAD-ASS WOLVERINE.
BUT THE POINT IS THAT
THEY'RE MUCH MORE SOCIABLE
AND MUCH MORE FAMILY ORIENTED
THAN ANYONE WOULD HAVE GUESSED.
Narrator: MALES USUALLY TAKE
SEVERAL MATES,
AND IN AN UNUSUAL
FAMILY DYNAMIC,
THEY'VE BEEN KNOWN TO TRAVEL
FROM FEMALE TO FEMALE,
HELPING TO RAISE
EACH OF THEIR KITS.
THE GLACIER TEAM TRACKED M1
INTO F4'S DEN,
AND FOUND HIM TRAVELING WITH
THEIR YOUNG...
AND THOSE OF
HIS SECOND FAMILY...
ON 17 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS.
WHEN HIS SON, M3,
HAD KITS OF HIS OWN, HE IN TURN
TRAVELED WITH THEM,
PASSING ALONG
THE LESSONS HE'D LEARNED.
FATHERHOOD, IT SEEMS,
IS IN THEIR NATURE.
GROWING UP WOLVERINE MAY ALL
DEPEND ON THE INCREDIBLE,
INDISPUTABLE ROLE OF THE DAD.
[ KITS SQUEALING ]
Kroschel: OH, MY GOODNESS!
THIS ONE HERE IS NAMED BANFF,
AND THIS ONE IS JASPER...
BANFF AND JASPER.
WAIT YOUR TURN NOW!
THEY'RE NOT POLITE.
[ KIT GRUNTING ]
NO, THEY'RE GETTING FULL NOW.
I'M GOING TO CLEAN HIM UP
A LITTLE BIT HERE
BECAUSE THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
SO I'M JUST CLEANING HIM OFF
HERE LIKE MOMMY WOULD DO.
SHE WOULD LICK AROUND
THEIR FACES,
MAKE SURE THERE'S NO MESS.
THIS IS SOMETHING WE DO,
THIS CLEANING AND FEEDING
IS STILL GOING ON
ABOUT EVERY FOUR HOURS...
AROUND THE CLOCK.
SO WE'RE NOT GETTING
A LOT OF SLEEP...
I'M NOT GETTING
A LOT OF SLEEP.
THE WOLVERINES ARE
GETTING A LOT OF SLEEP.
IN THIS TUB, I CHANGE AND I PUT
FRESH MOSS FROM THE FOREST
IN THERE ALMOST EVERY DAY,
AND ALSO A LITTLE BIT OF
TREE BRANCHES AND SUCH,
LIKE THIS HEMLOCK.
THESE ARE PSYCHOLOGICAL
SECURITY BLANKETS
FOR THE WOLVERINE,
THIS KIND OF BEDDING IS
VERY IMPORTANT.
GIVE THEM A LITTLE BIT
OF PRIVACY.
FOR FOUR HOURS, NOW, I CAN DO
SOMETHING ELSE AND RELAX.
[ KROSCHEL MIMICS
WOLVERINE GRUNTS ]
ARM LOAD OF WOLVERINES.
[ KITS SNARLING ]
THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO
RUN FREE,
THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO
EXPERIENCE LIFE LIKE THEY WOULD
IN THE WILD.
SO WE TAKE THEM TO THESE
DIFFERENT KINDS TYPES OF HABITAT
THAT THEY WOULD NORMALLY
BE SEEING WITH THEIR MOTHER,
WHETHER IT'S THE RIVER
OR UP IN THE FOREST.
TRYING TO FILM THESE WOLVERINES
OUT HERE IN
THIS MOSQUITO-INFESTED FOREST
IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE,
BUT I THINK WE'LL GET
A FEW SHOTS HERE AND THERE.
UH-OH, INTO MY POWER CORD.
DON'T YOU CHEW THAT IN HALF!
NO, NO.
WOLVERINES ARE SO INQUISITIVE,
THEY GET INTO EVERYTHING.
I MEAN I HAVE LOST POWER CORDS.
THEY JUST CHEW THEM IN HALF,
I MEAN,
AND IN JUST A FEW SECONDS
IT'S BROKEN.
WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO?
BUT WHAT WOULD BE THE WORST,
AND I SHOULDN'T EVEN
BRING IT UP,
BUT IF THEY OPENED UP A FILM CAN
AFTER WE'VE ALREADY SHOT.
BUT SO FAR, SO GOOD, THAT WAY.
YOU SOMETIMES WILL SEE,
YOU KNOW,
THEY'RE CROUCHING DOWN,
THEY'RE SHOWING THEIR TEETH,
AND THAT'S
WHAT THEY DO TO EACH OTHER
AND THAT'S WHAT THEY DO
TO THEIR ENEMIES.
ALL OF THE PLAY
HAS A PURPOSE, REALLY,
AND TO BE PART OF THAT,
OF COURSE,
IS QUITE INSIGHTFUL BECAUSE
THEY'RE SHARPENING THEIR SKILLS
FOR HUNTING,
STALKING THEIR PREY,
OR DEFENSIVE BEHAVIOR,
YOU KNOW, IF THEY WERE
STALKED THEMSELVES.
AND YOU SEE ALL THAT.
IT'S ALL WRAPPED UP INTO
ONE SESSION OF PLAY.
[ KROSCHEL MIMICKING
WOLVERINE GRUNTS ]
OH, THEY LIKE THIS!
YEAH! YEAH!
THEY'RE ORPHANS, SO I HAVE
A PROFOUND RESPONSIBILITY
TO GIVE THEM
THE BEST LIFE POSSIBLE.
I DON'T WANT THEM
TO EVER BE BORED,
OTHERWISE I'D FEEL LIKE
I'VE FAILED AS A GUARDIAN.
Narrator:
IT'S BEEN THREE MONTHS
SINCE AUDREY MAGOUN
HAS CHECKED THE CAMERAS
HERE IN THE HIGH COUNTRY.
Magoun: IT'S LIKE GOLD PANNING.
YOU GO BACK TO THESE CAMERAS
AND YOU CAN'T WAIT
TO LOOK AT THEM,
AND IT'S EXCITING.
Narrator:
BUT WHILE WINTER STEPPED OUT,
SUMMER SLIPPED IN...
AND REARRANGED THE FURNITURE.
IT HAS ALL CHANGED.
SO WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR IS JUST
A 2X4 STICKING OUT OF
A TREE.
NONE OF THIS BRUSH WAS VISIBLE.
YEAH, I THINK I'M GONNA HAVE TO
GO BACK AND GET MY GPS.
YOU CAN'T TELL WHERE YOU WERE
IN THE WINTER HERE.
I'M GOING TO MAKE A CIRCLE
AROUND THAT WAY
AND GO BACK OVER.
AH... WE'RE HERE!
RIGHT THERE!
OH, BEAR...
THEY PULLED THE CAMERAS DOWN.
THEY'RE NOT BROKEN
OR CHEWED UP, SO...
YOU CAN SEE
THE CARCASS IS TOTALLY GONE.
ORDINARILY ANYONE PUTTING OUT
A REMOTE CAMERA
WOULD BE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE
BLACK BEARS ON THEIR CAMERA...
WITH ME, I'M DISAPPOINTED.
BLACK BEARS... THAT MEANS
THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE
ANY BAIT LEFT BY THE TIME
THEY'RE FINISHED.
[ BEAR EXHALES ]
[ BRUSHES MICROPHONE ]
[ STATIC ]
I WAS JUST ABOUT READY
TO GIVE UP HOPE
WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, THERE ON
THE SCREEN WAS A WOLVERINE.
HE JUST LAY RIGHT DOWN THERE
AND STARTED CHEWING ON
THIS OLD, DRY BONE.
AND WE'RE RUNNING NEAR THE END
OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS,
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN
THERE'S A PHOTOGRAPH
WITH TWO WOLVERINES IN IT.
SO THAT WAS PRETTY EXCITING.
Narrator: IN THE LONG TRADITION
OF PANNING FOR GOLD IN ALASKA,
TWO WOLVERINES MAY NOT SEEM
LIKE MUCH OF A STRIKE.
BUT THEY'RE A REAL FIND
TO AUDREY,
AND ENOUGH TO KEEP HER GOING.
AS SUMMER MAKES A FLEETING VISIT
TO THE PEAKS OF GLACIER,
RICK YATES CLIMBS UP TO WHERE
IT'S STILL COLD ENOUGH
FOR WOLVERINES.
AFTER MONTHS OF SUBSISTING ON
THE BONES OF WINTER KILLS,
THIS SUPREME SCAVENGER GETS TO
PRACTICE A LITTLE HUNTING.
[ PREY SQUEALING ]
RICK IS ON THE HUNT HIMSELF.
HE MAY NOT BE BATTLING
WIND AND SNOW,
BUT IT'S ACTUALLY HARDER
TO FIND WOLVERINES
AT THIS TIME OF YEAR.
WITHOUT TRACKS TO FOLLOW,
RICK SCOUTS THE OLD
STOMPING GROUNDS OF M1 AND F4
FOR SOME SIGN OF THEM.
Yates:
THIS IS GRINNELL GLACIER.
IT'S ONE OF THE AREAS
WHERE F4 SPENT A LOT OF TIME
IN THE SUMMER...
HOPEFULLY SHE STILL DOES
IF SHE'S STILL ALIVE.
GRINNELL GLACIER
HAS RETREATED SIGNIFICANTLY
IN THE LAST 20 TO 30 YEARS.
AS THIS GLACIER MELTS
AND EVENTUALLY DISAPPEARS,
IT WILL CHANGE THE ECOSYSTEM
OF THIS AREA
BY NOT HOLDING AS MUCH SNOW.
IT MAY NOT BE AS COOL OF A PLACE
FOR A WOLVERINE TO BE
IN THE SUMMERTIME.
Narrator: AND GRINNELL ISN'T
THE ONLY ONE RECEDING.
EVERY ONE OF THE PARK'S
REMAINING GLACIERS
ARE MELTING AWAY
AT A RAPID CLIP...
IN 20 YEARS,
THEY COULD ALL BE GONE.
AND THE WOLVERINES COULD BE LEFT
HIGH AND DRY.
Yates: THERE'S A DIRECT
RELATIONSHIP WITH WOLVERINES
AND DEEP SNOW THAT PERSISTS
INTO MAY AND JUNE.
AS GLOBAL WARMING ACCELERATES
IT MAY AFFECT WHERE
AND IF WOLVERINES DEN.
Narrator: FOR ALL ITS TOUGHNESS,
AT ITS CORE THE WOLVERINE
IS A VULNERABLE CREATURE.
A CHANGE IN WEATHER
MAY BE ALL IT TAKES
FOR THIS RARE SPECIES
TO COME UNDONE.
F4'S TRANSMITTER
HAS GONE OFF-AIR,
SO FINDING HER NOW
MEANS GOING LOW-TECH
THROUGH THE HIGH COUNTRY.
IF SHE IS AROUND
AND HAS KITS THIS YEAR,
A TEMPORARY DEN
CALLED A RENDEZVOUS SITE
MAY BE ONE PLACE
SHE'S BEEN SPENDING HER TIME.
THIS IS ONE OF F4'S
RENDEZVOUS SITES FROM LAST YEAR.
I COLLECTED SCATS FROM HERE,
ACTUALLY I HAD MY SON
CRAWL IN THERE,
HE'S A LOT SKINNIER THAN I AM.
OH, YEAH,
HERE'S A SCAT RIGHT HERE.
Narrator: THE DNA COULD
TELL HIM IF SHE WAS HERE,
BUT IT WON'T PINPOINT WHEN.
THE GROUND OFFERS UP
OTHER CLUES.
YOU CAN SEE SOME
OF THE TEETH MARKS.
COULD BE A SHEEP,
COULD BE A GOAT.
I'M HOPING IT'S STILL F4,
YOU KNOW.
LOOKS LIKE THEY'VE BEEN HERE
AWHILE.
AFTER LAST DECEMBER,
WE DON'T HAVE ANY DATA ON HER.
[ SIGHS ]
Narrator: SIGNALS ARE FADING ON
ALL THE WOLVERINES HERE.
[ STATIC ]
RICK RUNS THROUGH THE CHANNELS
ONE LAST TIME,
SWEEPING THE AIR
AS IF TO CONJURE THEM.
NOTHING.
Yates: I ALWAYS WORRY ABOUT
THESE GUYS,
'CAUSE SOME OF THEM FALL,
SOME OF THEM ARE KILLED
IN AVALANCHES...
IT'S A TOUGH PLACE
TO MAKE A LIVING OUT HERE.
Narrator: RICK HEADS HOME
WITHOUT KNOWING
THE FATE OF HIS OLD FRIENDS,
BUT OUR CAMERA STAYS BEHIND.
CINEMATOGRAPHER JOE PONTECORVO
LINGERS TO CAPTURE
THE LATE AFTERNOON LIGHT.
INSTEAD, HE CAPTURES SOMETHING
COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED...
IT'S F4.
RICK LATER CONFIRMED
HER IDENTITY.
HE MISSED HER BY 20 MINUTES.
COME ON!
OH, MY GOODNESS,
HAVE YOU GROWN!
Narrator:
FALL BRINGS BIG CHANGES
TO THE KROSCHEL HOUSEHOLD,
BUT THE PACE HASN'T SLOWED.
IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO STAY ONE STEP
AHEAD OF A WOLVERINE,
EVEN IN CAPTIVITY.
ALWAYS A DANGEROUS THING TO
BRING A WOLVERINE INTO A CABIN.
OH, MY GLOVES?
SO I'M MISSING ONE GLOVE,
AND NOW I'VE GOT AN IDEA OF
WHERE IT MIGHT HAVE WENT.
I MIGHT...
UH-OH.
YOU WEIGH 38 1/2 POUNDS
NOW, JASPER.
[ BABY TALKING ]
MY GOODNESS,
YOUR TEETH ARE GETTING BIG.
IT'S JUST BEEN
A THREE-RING CIRCUS EVERY DAY
WORKING WITH THESE WOLVERINES,
'CAUSE THEY'VE GOT
SO MUCH ENERGY, YOU KNOW?
AND THEY GOT TO HAVE
SOMETHING TO DO ALL THE TIME.
SOME PEOPLE MIGHT THINK THAT
THIS IS A BIT WACKY...
BUT, YOU KNOW,
HOW ELSE ARE PEOPLE GOING TO
UNDERSTAND THIS ELUSIVE ANIMAL?
THE BIGGEST WEASEL
OF THEM ALL...
SO WHAT IS YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION
OF A WOLVERINE?
FIERCE? VICIOUS?
GOLLY, JEEZ, I DON'T KNOW IF
I CAN BRING THEM OUT
AFTER HEARING ALL
THOSE ADJECTIVES.
WHAT ABOUT YOU, THEY'RE WHAT?
THEY'RE CUTE.
"THEY'RE CUTE?"
AWW, THAT'S... YOU KNOW,
I'M WITH YOU ON THAT.
THAT'S HOW I FEEL
ABOUT THEM.
THE ONLY REASON
I HAVE THESE WOLVERINES
IS FOR AMBASSADORSHIP...
TO EDUCATE,
TO ENLIGHTEN.
THIS IS BANFF TODAY.
LOOK AT THAT CLAW.
I WOULD SAY MAYBE THAT CLAW
IS A QUARTER INCH LONG.
SO ONE WOLVERINE
NEEDS A LOT OF TERRITORY...
THEY FIND IT HERE
IN ALASKA.
BEFORE, THEY WERE KIND OF,
YOU KNOW,
A COUPLE OF NOTCHES
BELOW BIGFOOT,
AND NOW WE CAN HAVE A LITTLE BIT
MORE OF A CLEAR PICTURE
OF WHAT THIS CREATURE
IS ALL ABOUT.
Narrator: AT EIGHT MONTHS OLD,
JASPER IS TESTING
THE WATERS OF ADULTHOOD...
AND TESTING
HIS BOUNDARIES WITH DAD.
Kroschel: IT'S GIVE AND TAKE
ALL THE TIME.
THEY SEEM PLAYFUL,
THEY SEEM LIKE THEY'RE BENIGN,
THAT THEY WON'T HURT ME AND ALL,
BUT THEY COULD.
THEY'RE STILL A WILD ANIMAL
AND I STILL HAVE TO WORK
WITHIN THEIR RULES.
Narrator: JASPER AND BANFF
ARE NEARLY FULL-GROWN,
AND STEVE CAN ONLY MANAGE THEM
ONE AT A TIME NOW.
YET BOTH WILL HAVE
HIS UNYIELDING ATTENTION
FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.
Kroschel: I'VE GOT ALMOST
60 ACRES HERE,
AND OF COURSE, THE BORDER IS
JUST ENDLESS WILDERNESS,
SO WHAT THEY HAVE NOW
IS WHAT THEY'LL
ALWAYS HAVE HERE, I HOPE.
Narrator: ANOTHER STUDY SEASON
IS WRAPPING UP FOR AUDREY,
AND IT'S BEEN A HUGE SUCCESS.
IN TWO YEARS,
27 WOLVERINES
HAVE FOUND THEIR WAY
TO HER CAMERAS,
AND FINALLY ONTO THE MAP
HERE IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA.
Magoun: I PLAN ON
STUDYING WOLVERINES
TILL THE DAY I GO AND MEET
THE GREAT WOLVERINE IN THE SKY,
I GUESS... I JUST...
AT LEAST AS FAR AS I CAN TELL,
MY PASSION HASN'T DIMINISHED
IN THE LEAST.
Narrator: THERE HAVE BEEN NEW
DEVELOPMENTS IN THE LOWER 48.
A MALE WOLVERINE COLLARED BY
RESEARCHERS WITH THE WILDLIFE
CONSERVATION SOCIETY
WAS TRACKED 500 MILES
FROM WYOMING INTO COLORADO,
MARKING THE FIRST KNOWN
WOLVERINE IN THAT STATE
SINCE 1919.
"GULO GULO."
Narrator: IN MICHIGAN,
FIVE YEARS AFTER
THE FIRST SIGHTING,
THIS NIMBLE ACROBAT SEEMS
TO HAVE SETTLED IN
AND IS DOING FINE.
AND IN CALIFORNIA,
THE MALE THAT MADE HEADLINES
IN 2008
HAS BEEN CAPTURED AGAIN
IN THE TAHOE NATIONAL FOREST...
THIS TIME ON VIDEO.
DESPITE THESE ENCOURAGING SIGNS,
THERE MAY ONLY BE
A FEW HUNDRED WOLVERINES
IN THE ENTIRE LOWER 48.
NO ONE KNOWS FOR SURE.
WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT
NO PICTURE OF
THE NORTHERN WILDERNESS
IS COMPLETE WITHOUT THEM.
EACH INSIGHT WE'VE GLEANED
HAS BEEN WRUNG FROM
THE HARD-WON EFFORTS
OF A SMALL BAND OF EXPLORERS
WHO HAVE BATTLED THE YEARS,
THE WEATHER,
AND THE PUNISHING TERRAIN,
AND HAVE MADE THE WOLVERINE
THEIR QUEST.
THESE FEW SEEK MORE THAN
AN EXTRAORDINARY ANIMAL.
THE WOLVERINE HAS BECOME
THEIR EVEREST...
EVERYTHING THEY MEASURE
THEMSELVES AGAINST.
IN HIS BOOK
"THE WOLVERINE WAY,"
DOUG CHADWICK PUTS IT LIKE THIS.
Chadwick: "IF WOLVERINES
HAVE A STRATEGY,"
"IT IS GO HARD AND HIGH AND STEEP
AND NEVER BACK DOWN,"
"NOT EVEN FROM A GRIZZLY, AND
LEAST OF ALL FROM A MOUNTAIN."
"CLIMB EVERYTHING...
TREES, CLIFFS,"
"AVALANCHE CHUTES, SUMMITS."
"EAT EVERYBODY... ALIVE, DEAD,
LONG DEAD..."
"ITS STILL-WARM HEART
OR FROZEN BONES."
"I WILL NEVER REALLY KNOW"
"WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE ONE OF
THESE HUNTER/SCAVENGERS,"
"BUT I'VE LEARNED A LITTLE MORE
ABOUT COURAGE,"
"AND A LOT MORE ABOUT
WHAT 'WILD' MEANS,"
"JUST FROM BEING ON
THE WOLVERINES' TRAIL."
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT
WHAT YOU'VE SEEN