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The couple Jim and Jamie Dutcher spent six years living in a tent in the woods among the packs of wolves, trying to understand the way of life and the essence of these animals.
They lived without electricity and running water, in the most primitive conditions of the wilderness, without leaving their place even in winter, when the practically Sibiu frosts cracked in the forests of Idaho. Judging by the photos they took and then published on their website and in the media, they managed to establish a very close, almost family connection with wolves and see where few people succeeded.
Jim and Jamie had known many wolves in the pack since they were puppies, they helped them feed, and in front of them they grew up and became strong animals, but who did not forget about human kindness, good attitude and who they answered each other.
The couple witnessed the scenes of change of leader, the progress of the members of the pack on the hierarchical ladder, who play an important role in the wolf society, and witnessed a scene in which the male almost humanizes a mourning for his dead girlfriend, expressing himself, as it seemed to the people pain and sorrow at the loss of it.
Jim and Jamie tried to capture everything that could show people how important it is to maintain the number of wolves and that, in fact, they are not such "ruthless and bloodthirsty" killer machines, as they often appear in stories. popular.
"Wolves, in fact, are afraid and keep away from people," says Jim. "And they are very smart animals." It is very difficult to photograph them in the foreground, to get closer, if you are a stranger to them. We only managed to do this because the wolves began to trust us after a long stay with them in their natural environment. We have created a close connection with these wolves, which only happens between members of the same pack. And she will stay for the rest of her life.
- We acted taking into account the conditions of the pack and we did not approach them unless they showed us that they did not mind our presence. Every morning we went to them, leaving the tent, and they greeted us, greeting us as members of their pack. They yawned and licked our faces, as we shook hands when we met, and then everyone did their job.
- We never tried to dominate in the pack, and these wolves, in turn, never tried to force us to recognize their dominance. So everything was neutral between us.
- Going to wolves has forced us to have a strong negative attitude towards wolves among humans, - continues after Jim his wife, Jamie, - Most people have a hatred for them, we wanted to show them that everything is not terrible at all . All this rage comes from old fairy tales and myths, where everything is often exaggerated, but there was a time when wolves and humans practically lived together. It was from the wolves that the dog came to the man, helping to hunt and guard. Jim and I learned that people could still live peacefully with wolves if they knew them better.
Before they left for the forest, the couple lived a normal life. Jamie worked at the Washington Zoo, and Jim was a cameraman and made movies about wildlife. According to them, it was very difficult to manage suddenly in the forest without all the comforts of civilization, even without a radio. In winter, everything around was covered with snow of about 2 meters and it was very cold.
"I used to laugh a lot about it, but then I would wake up in the morning with my hair frozen on the skin of my face," Jim recalls.
It had to be heated with a fire and "with a lot of invented methods," as Jim says. Gradually they got used to this way of life. It was 15 years ago, from 1990 to 1996. Since then, Jamie and Jim have dedicated their lives to talking about their experience and wolves to as many people as possible. They have their own website, carry out educational activities in large libraries, universities and schools around the world, including the Museum of Natural History in London. They released 3 books, and in February 2013 will be released the fourth entitled "The Hidden Life of Wolves".
