Wild about Wolves Videos

Pacific Rim National Park Reserve

Learn more about Parks Canada's 5-year research project Wild About Wolves that looks to further improve coexistence between people and wolves.

Wild About Wolves - Part 1: Re-Entering Pacific Rim National Park Reserve

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[Parks Canada Logo]

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Animated text: Wild About Wolves Part 1: Re-Entering Pacific Rim National Park Reserve

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[Black and white trail camera footage of wolves in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve]

Animated text: The Greater Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is home to an active population of wild wolves.

Animated text: They make their living on the same lands we do.

Animated text: First Nations have coexisted with wolves for thousands of years. The animal is sacred and important to their culture.

<> In our culture they are protectors in our territory system. The chiefs have their wolves in order to protect them… Wolves are very sacred to our people.

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Animated text: Levi Martin, Kaamath Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation Elder

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<> We have ceremonies around wolves. Songs and dances. Headdresses that replicate wolves and what they mean to us.

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Animated text: Derek Peters, Tliishin Ha'wiih (Hereditary Chief) Huu-ay-aht First Nation

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[Morning scenery at Pacific Rim National Park]

We recognize that as Huu-ay-aht people, the balance they bring to the wildlife and the forest.

Animated text: Human-wolf conflict however, is on the rise in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.

<> In the past like we never ever seen any wolves in the communities, or close to the communities

[Black and white trail camera footage of wolves in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve]

<> You always heard them. So you knew they were there. But you never really saw them. There were very little encounters. So there’s a big difference between then and now… they’re visible, they’re following people, they’re eating dogs… There’s something going on.

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Animated text: Barney Williams Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation Elder

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Animated text: Humans have taught wolves unnatural behaviours, making it harder for people and wolves to live in harmony.

<> It's not what's going on with the wolves, it's what's going on with us.

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[Plastic cup floating in marsh] [Dog off leash beside owner walking in park]

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Animated text: Litter, dogs off leash, and people getting too close have made wolves less wary and associate humans with food sources.

<> I have seen the impacts of human interactions with the wolves a lot in the past and it’s always the wolves that end up paying the price.

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Animated text: Dennis Hetu Toquaht First Nation

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[Text on roadside sign saying: "Human food kills wildlife"]

Animated text: Parks Canada launched the Wild About Wolves project to research ways to coexist.

[Community members in conference room listening to Wild About Wolves presentation]

<> If we’re going to help the wolves, we need to work across boundaries…and also across disciplines.

[Trail camera photos of wolves in Parks Canada office]

<> There's a human side to this, there's a First Nations and Indigenous side to this, and then there's an ecological side. We can bring together analyses and statistics and try to support these broader questions.

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Animated text: Adam T. Ford Assitant Professor, Canada Research Chair in Wildlife Restoration Ecology The University of British Columbia

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Animated text: All footage of wildlife was captured by remote wildlife cameras. Learn more about the ""Wild About Wolves"" project by visiting parkscanada.gc.ca/wildaboutwolves

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Credits:

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Wild About Wolves - Part 2: Traditional Knowledge

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[Parks Canada Logo]

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Animated text: Wild About Wolves Part 2: Traditional Knowledge

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Animated text: Parks Canada is working with First Nations, local communities, and researchers to better understand the relationship between humans and wildlife.

<> It’s not just First Nations that live here, it’s not just Parks Canada that works out here, it’s not just Tofino and Ucluelet… we’re all in it together, and when you work together, put everyone’s mind together

and focus on one goal and one purpose, then good things can happen.

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Animated text: Derek Peters, Tliishin Ha'wiih (Hereditary Chief) Huu-ay-aht First Nation

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[Local community members meeting and talking about Wild About Wolves project.]

<> What’s exciting here is that we’re actually trying to do something, versus just talking about it, saying we have a problem here.

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Animated text: Barney Williams Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation Elder

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Animated text: Traditional knowledge is being shared to help us understand how Indigenous peoples have coexisted with wolves for thousands of years.

[Parks Canada employee giving presentation on Wild About Wolves project.]

<> There’s two different concepts. You have the Western concept,

and you have the traditional concept, which is different…. We know that behaviours that exist now are not normal for the wolves because of the changes in the system, in people’s attitudes, and behaviours. There's not that interest.

[Footage of sign that says, "Listening, learning and collaborating - respectfully listen and learn from First Nation Wisdom and traditional knowledge about wolves and collaborate with them to foster coexistence in and around PRNPR (Pacific Rim National Park Reserve)."]

<> What a rich and strong starting point for a project, to have so many strong Indigenous partners

share so much and all stand together trying to figure out how to take care of wolves on the landscape here.

How to have a good relationship and have a right relationship with them.

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Animated text: Douglas A. Associate Professor, Centennial Chair in Human Dimensions of Environment & Sustainability University of Saskatchewan

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[First Nations Elders speaking to community members at Wild About Wolves seminar.]

<> We need to respect and understand that we’re not the only ones here. We live amongst wildlife,

and they live amongst us too, and we need to find out what that healthy balance is.

[Trail camera footage of wolves interacting with eachother in the wild.]

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Animated text: All footage of wildlife was captured by remote wildlife cameras. Learn more about the ""Wild About Wolves"" project by visiting parkscanada.gc.ca/wildaboutwolves

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Credits:

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[Parks Canada logo Like. Comment. Share. PC.GC.CA social media logos]

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Wild About Wolves - Part 3: Ecological Studies

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[Parks Canada Logo]

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Animated text: Wild About Wolves Part 3: Ecological Studies

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Animated text: Ecological studies are underway to collect information about where wolves live, how they travel, and what they eat.

<> There’s a few things we know we’d really like to look at.

Probably the main one, at least in terms of conflict, is how wolves are using the landscape.

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Animated text: Todd Windle Wild About Wolves Project Manager Pacific Rim National Park Reserve

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Animated text: Parks Canada and their partners have installed a network of 100 trail cameras throughout Greater Pacific Rim National Park Reserve ecosytem.

[Trail camera strapped to tree and Todd loading it with batteries.]

Those are really designed to spread out in a uniform way to pick up, not just wolves, but their competition and their prey species going by there. So we can answer a lot of different questions covering a huge unit of area at the same time.

Animated text: Volunteers are collecting wolf scat and DNA will be tested to understand wolf diet, ancestry and kinship.

<> Are they feeding on natural foods, or is there also some non-natural foods?

[Wolves feeding on a whale carcass on the beach in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and interacting with eachother in the forest.]

We’d also like to look at some genetic work, just to look at relatedness between different packs, Also interested in our population estimate.

Credits:

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Wild About Wolves - Part 4: Human Dimensions

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[Parks Canada Logo]

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Animated text: Wild About Wolves Part 4: Human Dimensions

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Animated text: Human Dimensions research will examine the values, beliefs, and attitudes of people about wolves and human-wolf interactions.

<> The term human dimensions originated with researchers and practitioners realizing

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Animated text: Douglas A. Associate Professor, Centennial Chair in Human Dimensions of Environment & Sustainability University of Saskatchewan

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that a whole lot of wildlife management really was about managing people,

[Surfers walking along beach in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, while Parks Canada employees watch over the beach.]

<> One way to look at it is to think of people’s beliefs, their values

and things that drive their behaviours; why they make the choices that they do. <> Scientific investigation is necessary, but it’s rarely sufficient to fill you in on all aspects of a problem.

[Hiker climbing a ladder in the forest on the West Coast Trail]

Human Dimensions research provides a very broad range of tools, techniques,

theories, ways of understanding the people side of these problems.

Animated text: All this information will help Parks Canada and others reduce the likelihood of conflict between people and wolves.

<> I actually think most people do care. I think people care a lot, but they don’t always necessarily

[Couple walking their dogs on the beach at Pacific Rim National Park Reserve]

Animated text: Dogs must be on leash at all times throughout Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.

understand how to behave properly and I think sometimes they maybe don’t realize that their behaviour

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Animated text: Todd Windle Wild About Wolces Project Manager Pacific Rim National Park Reserve

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that they may perceive as caring, or being interested in wildlife, might actually be detrimental.

Animated text: People approaching wolves for photos, or sharing food with them, causes wolves to lose their natural wariness.

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Animated text: All footage of wildlife was captured by remote wildlife cameras. Learn more about the ""Wild About Wolves"" project by visiting parkscanada.gc.ca/wildaboutwolves

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Credits:

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[Parks Canada logo Like. Comment. Share. PC.GC.CA social media logos]

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Wild About Wolves - Part 5: Co-Existence

Transcript [music]

[Parks Canada Logo]

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Animated text: Wild About Wolves Part 5: Coexistence

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<> Coexistence is almost like a dance. Because it’s not just about people simply

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Animated text: Douglas A. Associate Professor, Centennial Chair in Human Dimensions of Environment and Sustainability University of Saskatchewan

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restraining ourselves and minimizing our footprint. Often that's a big part of it and that's necessary,

[Footage panning across Pacific Rim National Park Reserve scenery.]

but we often forget that these animals aren’t just passive… What you do, what you say, what you think

[Trail camera footage of wolf in the forest sniffing the air.]

– they’re paying attention to you and they’re responding.

[First Nations wood carving in Pacific Rim National Park reserve]

<> Coexistence is about honoring and respecting the wolves and everything that there is.

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Animated text: Levi Martin, Kaamath Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation Elder

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In our language there’s a word that we use, and that's Utopiath. Utopiath means always be careful about what you do and what you say. <> The biggest challenge they have is us as humans, and having to coexist with us again.

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Animated text: Barney Williams Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation Elder

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And unfortunately it’s not a good scene right now. They’re learning a way that’s not right.

[Signage informing people they are entering wolf country]

So we need to change that mindset. That we’re going to live like we did a long time ago. And we can do it. We don’t have to go back in time, we can do it right here. <> I think this project is something people should pay attention to. There are going to be lessons learned from this project and the experience

[Wildlife signage in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve office that says "Space is safe. Safer for us, safer for them."]

of people and wolves here that will benefit others, not just in Canada but worldwide. <> Wolves are incredibly smart animals. They're always working at coexistence

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Animated text: Todd Windle Wild About Wolves Project Manager Pacific Rim National Park Reserve

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and it's probably us, in my opinion, that need to work a little bit harder just to do our part.

[Wolves interacting with eachother in the wild.]

The wolves have got it figured out, it's just us that need to make a few changes.

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Animated text: All footage of wildlife was captured by remote wildlife cameras. Learn more about the ""Wild About Wolves"" project by visiting parkscanada.gc.ca/wildaboutwolves

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Credits:

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[Parks Canada logo Like. Comment. Share. PC.GC.CA social media logos]

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