Wolves at Our Door

Wolves at Our Door is a 1997 documentary film about the "Sawtooth Pack", a group of captive wolves in the Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho. The film was produced and directed by Jim Dutcher and first aired on The Discovery Channel. It is narrated by Richard Kiley. A two–hour sequel, Living with Wolves, was released in 2005.

Production

Since 1990 Dutcher, and later by his wife Jamie Dutcher, observed a pack of captive wolves on a fenced–in 25–acre camp in Idaho. Initially the pups were raised in captivity before being allowed to roam free within the larger encampment.^[1] The rearing by the couple provided them close access to the wolves, allowing them to close-up film and record the wolves. Using both visual and audio recordings, they were able to document the pack's hierarchy, communication ability and behavior.^[2]

Sawtooth Pack

Initially starting with one pair of adults, Makuyi and Akai, the pack grew to include:^[3][4][5]

• Original wolves
  • Akai, adult, original alpha male, was mid–rank from his home in Minnesota
  • Makuyi, adult, mated with Akai, from a wolf shelter in Montana
  • Motaki, (Blackfoot for "shadow"), original omega female, killed by a mountain lion
• First litter (1991)
  • Kamots, (Blackfoot for "freedom"), the alpha male
  • Lakota, (Sioux for "friend"), the omega male
• Second litter (1992)
  • Amani, (Blackfoot for "speaking the truth"), brother of Matsi
  • Motomo, (Blackfoot for "he who goes first"), brother of Matsi
  • Matsi, (Blackfoot for "sweet and brave), the beta male
• Third litter (1994)
  • Chemukh, (Nez Perce for "black"), the alpha female
  • Wahots, (Nez Perce for "likes to howl"), brother of Wyakin and Chemukh
  • Wyakin, (Nez Perce for "spirit"), other female in the pack
• Fourth litter/Sawtooth pups (1996)
  • Ayet, (Nez Perce for "girl"), pup of Kamots and Chemukh
  • Piyip, (Nez Perce "boy"), pup of Kamots and Chemukh
  • Motaki, pup of Kamots and Chemukh, named after the original omega female

The last remaining original of the pack, Piyip, died on July 5, 2013 (age 17).

Airing and release

The Discovery Channel first aired the film on October 27, 1997. It was the channel's most successful wildlife documentary film and would garner three Emmy Award nominations, winning two for cinematography and sound mixing.^[6] It was released on DVD on June 19, 2001.

Awards and accolades

in 1998 Wolves at Our Door was nominated for an Emmy Award in the Outstanding Nonfiction Special category.^[7] Jim Dutcher received the Emmy award for Outstanding Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming.^[8] Jamie Dutcher received the Emmy award for Outstanding Sound Mixing for Nonfiction Programming.^[9]

References

Further reading

• Dutcher, J., Dutcher, J., & Manfull, J. (2002). Wolves at Our Door: The Extraordinary Story of the Couple Who Lived with Wolves. New York: Pocket Books. ISBN 9780743400480

External links

• Wolves at Our Door at the Internet Movie Database
• Wolves at Our Door at AllMovie
• Wolves at Our Door at Rotten Tomatoes