All language subtitles for A Wolfs Journey 2019 hoetinkhof79

Nothing here
in the forest suggests

that today is the day.

There is no sign of the trouble brewing.

And the wolf, with golden eyes,

does he know what's to come?

The pack scours the undergrowth
where it's been camped

out for a few days.

They look for treats to tide
them over until the next hunt.

Some dormice or voles.

The wolf with golden
eyes is two years old.

He was born into this
pack and grew up with it.

But this morning, he decides

that it's time to make a big move.

He approaches the remains
of yesterday's meal casually

and ignores the leader of the pack,

the alpha male with the black mask.

He helps himself first, breaking protocol.

Only the alpha male decides
when the pack may eat.

His subordinates intervene,

but it's up to him to settle the score.

Now it's black mask versus golden eyes.

The young wolf lowers his tail.

He gambled and lost.

By challenging the alpha this way,

he was making it known that
he was a worthy replacement.

But from now on, it's exile for him.

Returning would be a death sentence.

Here in the forest, a chapter is closing,

but another is already taking shape.

It's the story of the wolf
with golden eyes, Slava.

A lone wolf seeking a new pack.

He will cross all of Europe,

from Romania all the way to Spain.

But what will this
amazing journey cost him?

If he is left alone, he will die.

Will he be accepted by another pack?

And how will he forge a path

between the two deeply clashing worlds?

Civilization on one side
and wildlife on the other.

Who will his enemies be?

And who will listen to his call?

The call to peace between
nature and mankind.

The call brought to us by Slava,
the wolf with golden eyes.

Now he's determined to make it on his own.

Slava is what scientists call a disperser.

Dispersion is that powerful
urge driving certain young

to abandon their groups.

When it's time for Slava to leave,

he does so instinctively
without knowing why.

Science explains it simply:

dispersion prevents
inbreeding within wolf packs.

It permits motivated youngsters

to gain an inconceivable privilege,

one that only alpha wolves possess:

the right to reproduce.

Slava was born in a
Romanian forest near Brasov.

For young wolves, leaving the
pack is a dangerous gamble.

Most disperses die in exile.

A fact Slava is unaware of.

His only concern of the
day are the odors here

because wolves use
their finely honed sense

of smell to track their prey.

Despite his hunger pangs,

he's put off by the badger's stench.

It's a definite no to this meal.

With 40 times more olfactory
neurons than we have,

his sense of smell is so acute that he

can read the forest like an open book.

Slava catches a whiff of a vole

that was here within the hour.

Strange path, unusual odor.

Even the sounds are different.

What to make of this peculiar forest?

Far too much racket.

Slava has never heard such a noisy animal.

Five days on the trail and
200 kilometers lie between him

and his former pack.

He's now entering unknown territory

but his needs are the same; hunt and eat.

Slava has eaten nothing
since his departure.

Upwind is a doe that would typically take

a group to bring down.

Slava is alone, but he's famished,

so he'll take his chances.

Who is this predator so
powerful that it can fell

its prey with a single blow
but won't take it with him?

He hasn't a clue, but Slava
flees this blaring beast

with fear in his belly.

It's a belly far too empty

for a carnivore in need of calories.

Today Slava still hasn't
secured the two kilos of meat

he needs daily to survive.

The young wolf is exhausted.

He sleeps to conserve energy.

Tomorrow, without fail, he'll
need to find food or else.

When prey is scarce, why not freeload?

To avoid conflict, a brown
bear will sometimes allow

a wolf pack to share in its spoils.

Slava knows that he's outmatched

but he has to take a risk.

Slava soon realizes that without his pack,

he has zero clout.

At some point in their
journeys, disperses like Slava,

know instinctively that
survival depends entirely

on rejoining a pack.

Slava continues to look for scent markers;

urine or scat, signs that
indicate the presence

of other wolves.

Without them he'll
never get enough to eat.

When you're ravenous, any meal will do.

But prickly creatures are, by nature,

tough to approach.

Summer ends and autumn leaves fall,

and Slava is still here.

How has he survived six months
on the highways of Romania?

He's discovered a bit about
this strange new world.

A bizarre place where birds don't fly.

No longer on home turf,

he's learned how to raid
others to feed himself.

So far, he's been lucky enough to avoid

those he's stealing from.

This morning, Slava is
leaving the Romanian forest.

Today he heads down to the plains.

It's his first encounter

with creatures that exhibit
some strange behavior.

Slava is puzzled.

The wild prey that evolved

with wolves bolt when they see predators.

But these are apparently docile animals,

domesticated by another
creature unknown to Slava.

One that walks upright.

Reflected in their eyes are thousands

of years of conflict
and innate mutual fear.

Slava is out of there.

In today's Romania, a wolf's
presence may be unwelcome,

but it's no big deal.

Little by little, Slava learns about life

here on the plains.

There are sounds he's never heard.

And let's not forget about
those two legged creatures.

Like all wolves, Slava is an opportunist.

To survive, he'll overcome
even his deepest fears.

Though maybe not during the day.

Nighttime is wiser.

Hungry wolves won't hesitate
to become scavengers.

Their flexible behavior
has enabled them to survive

even the toughest times of
their evolutionary history.

As a true opportunist, Slava
therefore managed to survive,

and here he comes to the Danube.

During his exile, the young
wolf has traveled more

than 500 kilometers and has now arrived

at the Serbian border.

He finds a bridge and
crosses the big river.

And he finds himself in a
place where he can breathe.

Slava has happened upon
a Serbian nature reserve.

And here there are
scents he knows by heart.

In the underbrush at last.

A wolf pack.

After everything he's been through,

Slava has become humbler,
ready to submit to authority.

He spots the alpha male.

Slava's posture says he's
not trying to take his place,

he just wants to be a part of the clan.

Request denied.

There's enough food here to feed the pack,

but not to share with even one more wolf.

Alone on the road for seven months now,

Slava has become a master vole hunter.

Modest prey for a wolf,
but vital for his survival.

The roaring of the stags
will soon come to a close,

heralding winter's arrival.

Slava sets out to storm
the mountains of Serbia

still very much alive, at least for now.

Because braving the winter alone

is a nearly impossible feat.

The vibrations in the
ground are hard to ignore.

It's someone's unlucky day.

But this morning, a chance
encounter will change everything.

A crow hidden nearby calling loudly.

Slava finally decides to see
what all the cawing is about.

It's a bunch of crows feasting on a meal

a whole lot heartier than rodents.

A wild Boar.

Enough food to help Slava
create energy reserves

for the winter.

A number of studies have shown that wolves

and crows can indeed work together,

and this crow is clearly inviting Slava

to become his partner.

With his bird's eye view,
he can guide Slava to prey

he can't kill himself,
but on which he can dine.

once the wolf has done his job.

Slava is no longer alone.

He howls with delight.

The two can be a pack, even
if it's fanged and feathered.

He invites the crow to share
his territory, which he marks

with urine and with
his personal signature,

the pheromones he disperses
through the scent glands

between the toes of his feet.

But the beginning of the any relationship

is a balancing act.

They have to get to know each other.

The crow tests Slava, leading
him to his favorite prey,

a stag.

But Slava's not the brash
youngster he once was.

The deer's enormous
antlers could kill him.

Find something smaller, please.

Really?

From his new perch, the
crow points Slava toward

more accessible prey.

What a mouth watering sight.

Slava knows that this time he's got this.

For a while, the lone
wolf seems to enjoy life

now that's in good company.

But after a few weeks, he realizes

that what he's really missing
is the company of wolves.

He howls, hoping other displaced wolves

will answer his call.

Plaintive cries that
pierce the winter silence.

Though the absence of wolves in the area

is a relief to other forest dwellers.

The first thaw arrives.

Through the end of winter he's on the move

through nine, 10, and
finally 11 months of exile.

Finally, spring is here.

Everyone's hungry, hungry for life

and for all the promises of spring.

One year into his
journey, Slava is leaner,

but still ready to take on the world.

And how he crosses the border
between Serbia and Bosnia,

making his way through nature
reserves, up mountains,

and across forests.

He arrives in Croatia.

He's already logged more
than 1,000 kilometers.

From Croatia it's another
200 kilometers to Slovenia.

Next it's onto Austria.

And finally, Italy.

400 more.

At the end of spring,
Slava arrives on the banks

of Europe's last wild
river, the Tagliamento.

And there, at last, another wolf.

Well, not just any wolf,
it's a female all alone

without a pack, just like him.

He's careful not to look her in the eye.

Wolves consider direct eye
contact a sign of aggression.

On the other hand,
there's no harm in showing

off their fishing skills and
bonding over a tasty meal.

This is how the king of the vole hunters

will court the queen of the trout fishers.

This is what Slava has been longing for.

The joyful howls are
all about togetherness.

Not only has he found his
wolf pack, but also his mate.

Like all wolves, Slava will mate for life.

But the river banks are
no place for a wolf.

He must move on again.

Because wolves thrive best in the forest.

And now Slava has backup,
convincing others to

seed the fruits of their labors
is much easier as a team.

The bear tries to salvage what
he can, but finally gives up.

Slava is still in battle mode.

The adrenaline rush will soon subside.

But at a primal level,

something inside him has
awakened and he's changing.

It's pure instinct that
impels him to take the lead,

guiding his mate toward the Alps.

Together they cross Italy.

They carry within a drive
that all wolves share

to conquer new territories.

They follow a path
Italian wolves used more

than 20 years ago to travel to France

where their species would disappear.

Now, Slava and his mate have
also crossed the border.

Something has changed in Slava,

he's now the one protecting
his pack, deciding where to go,

when to move on, who to hunt.

Slava has become an alpha male.

As several studies show,
all wolves, including Slava

and his mate, prefer a wild
over domesticated prey.

The kind of prey they can chase

just like their ancestors did.

Hopefully enough wild prey still survive.

So wolves won't have to
fall back on domestic prey.

It goes without saying that a
shepherd who loves his animals

will do anything to protect them.

But that night he looked
into the wolf's golden eyes.

A look that made him believe
that if there's a will

there'll be a way for creatures
to live in harmony one day.

The resurgence of wolves
can be catastrophic

for small farmers.

For Slava and his mate,
so is going without food.

The wolves continue to travel the Alps,

searching for a home full of wild prey.

This nature reserve seems perfect,

but apparently it's already
occupied by a wolf pack

with a litter.

There's ample prey here, without it,

the alpha male and his mate
would never have produced cubs.

But are they willing to
share with two more wolves?

Slava is an untested leader.

The other seems more battled gardened.

Slava is losing ground.

Even though he knows the
drill, expose your fangs

the better to ward off intruders.

But other trespassers are coming.

The pack scatters.

The alpha male heads
straight for the hunters.

Slava and his mate take off
in the opposite direction.

It's not their job to protect this litter.

A very young wolf with his tail tucked low

has followed them.

Slava doesn't know him

but he understands what he wants:

to join a pack just like he
wanted to more than a year ago.

But will this wolf be a threat?

The youngster crouches low
to show his submission.

All he wants is to be
part of Slava's pack.

And Slava accepts him.

Wolves howl together to declare solidarity

and to identify every voice.

They howl to let other packs
know that they're strong

now that they are three.

And as three, they can
make the forest come alive

with the sounds of their joyful stampede.

It's the kind of music that
celebrates an untamed world.

Of course, some wouldn't mind

if wolves disappeared for good.

Aside from hunters,
there's nothing much here

to interfere with the cushy
lifestyle of wild boars.

Their daily ablutions, spa
baths and massage therapy.

This one takes a while to grasp

that there's trouble in paradise.

The deadly bite is so violent that prey

sometimes die of cardiac arrest.

The wolves howl to make sure
no other pack has already

claimed this territory.

No one howls back.

But they must move on again.

Here in France, when
breeders report losses due

to wolves, the law permits
them to kill 40 of them.

But where to go now?

And how to get there?

Beyond the meadows where
men guard flocks of sheep

there are other fences for
a different kind of herd.

Slava leads his pack.

His newest recruit is terrified,

but Slava's not leaving anyone behind.

The band of three manages to
reach Mercantour National Park.

Throughout his journey,
Slava has navigated two

vastly opposing worlds;

nature reserves on one hand,

and on the other a land choked
by industrial development.

A year after leaving Romania,

Slava reaches Fos-sur-Mer.

From there he'll arrive at the Camargue.

Little by little, like other wolves,

Slava is reclaiming land from which he

was once banished by man.

15,000 wolves now live in Europe.

Their very existence a symbol
of wildlife's resilience.

Slava himself is living proof.

The three wolves could
easily bring down a bull,

but not if anyone here can help it.

Slava could be stopped by dogs

or electric fences or holding pens

or by these wranglers.

Hey!

Hey!

Slava's journey
shows that it's possible to

protect ourselves from
wolves without killing them.

But accidents happen.

It's the end of the road
for the young male wolf.

80% of wolves in dispersion die

as a result of human activity.

Slava finally finds a way out.

He reaches the Pyrenees.

He follows the mountain
ridge until he reaches Spain.

It's here in the Cantabrian Mountains

that Slava would finally make his home.

Slava probably settled in Spain

because game was abundant and humans

and wildlife there found ways to coexist.

Some sheep farmers now
opt for smaller flocks,

easier to keep an eye on.

Here and elsewhere in the world

there are human beings who
see the wisdom of sharing

our common space.

In the forest, life is flourishing.

Slava and his mate have
had their first litter.

When they're grown, some
of their young will stay

with the pack and help
them raise the next letter.

Others will be fearless enough to seek

the right to reproduce.

And one day, like Slava, they'll
risk it all and break away.

Who knows, maybe one day his descendants

will follow the opposite path.

Their instinct could
push them to leave Spain

and explore Italy, or maybe even Romania.

In any case, for humans and
wildlife to live in harmony,

a world of new ambassadors is here

all thanks to the wolf with golden eyes.