This is a story about wolves that exist in a wilderness without competition with humans for the same food sources – wild game or livestock – and to show them for the intelligent family driven social mammals that they are. Since there is no wolf hunting in this area of Ellesmere Island, wolves view humans in a passive manner, rather than a fearful one. This allows for unparalleled access to their day-to-day lives like nowhere else on earth. My goal for this story is to remind us that wolves are complex social mammals that exist in nearly the same family structures as humans and engage in many of the same behaviors: playing, mourning, social learning, and hunting.
All this to say, that while wolves around the world are continually vilified and killed at will, here on Ellesmere, they are free to live out their lives free from the report of a rifle and the bite of a trap. They exist as the key apex predators that they are, managing the prey species that in turn brings balances the ecosystem. I’m posting imagery and stories from my article in the current issue of National Geographic Magazine (@natgeo) about a family of wild Arctic wolves living on Ellesmere Island, Canada’s furthest northern landmass. The story focuses on a family of 10 wolves (6 adults and 4 pups) that I spent 1.5 months photographing and filming. The motivation for this project came out of my experiences trying to document the lives of gray wolves in Yellowstone and never feeling like I was able to do so because those wolves have a healthy fear of humans. Every wolf pack in Yellowstone has lost a pack member to hunting, so they have a necessary fear of humans.
Please follow along as I continue to post images from this assignment and check out the link in my bio to the digital article – Inside the harsh lives of wolves living at the top of the world – written by Neil Shea @neilshea13 #wolf #arcticwolf #nature #wild #hunting #predator #prey #whitewolf #kingdomofthewhitewolf #arctic #canada #animals #instadaily #instagood
This is a story about wolves that exist in a wilderness without competition with humans for the same food sources – wild game or livestock – and to show them for the intelligent family driven social mammals that they are. Since there is no wolf hunting in this area of Ellesmere Island, wolves view humans in a passive manner, rather than a fearful one. This allows for unparalleled access to their day-to-day lives like nowhere else on earth. My goal for this story is to remind us that wolves are complex social mammals that exist in nearly the same family structures as humans and engage in many of the same behaviors: playing, mourning, social learning, and hunting.
All this to say, that while wolves around the world are continually vilified and killed at will, here on Ellesmere, they are free to live out their lives free from the report of a rifle and the bite of a trap. They exist as the key apex predators that they are, managing the prey species that in turn brings balances the ecosystem. I’m posting imagery and stories from my article in the current issue of National Geographic Magazine (@natgeo) about a family of wild Arctic wolves living on Ellesmere Island, Canada’s furthest northern landmass. The story focuses on a family of 10 wolves (6 adults and 4 pups) that I spent 1.5 months photographing and filming. The motivation for this project came out of my experiences trying to document the lives of gray wolves in Yellowstone and never feeling like I was able to do so because those wolves have a healthy fear of humans. Every wolf pack in Yellowstone has lost a pack member to hunting, so they have a necessary fear of humans.
Please follow along as I continue to post images from this assignment and check out the link in my bio to the digital article – Inside the harsh lives of wolves living at the top of the world – written by Neil Shea @neilshea13 #wolf #arcticwolf #nature #wild #hunting #predator #prey #whitewolf #kingdomofthewhitewolf #arctic #canada #animals #instadaily #instagood
This is a story about wolves that exist in a wilderness without competition with humans for the same food sources – wild game or livestock – and to show them for the intelligent family driven social mammals that they are. Since there is no wolf hunting in this area of Ellesmere Island, wolves view humans in a passive manner, rather than a fearful one. This allows for unparalleled access to their day-to-day lives like nowhere else on earth. My goal for this story is to remind us that wolves are complex social mammals that exist in nearly the same family structures as humans and engage in many of the same behaviors: playing, mourning, social learning, and hunting.
All this to say, that while wolves around the world are continually vilified and killed at will, here on Ellesmere, they are free to live out their lives free from the report of a rifle and the bite of a trap. They exist as the key apex predators that they are, managing the prey species that in turn brings balances the ecosystem. I’m posting imagery and stories from my article in the current issue of National Geographic Magazine (@natgeo) about a family of wild Arctic wolves living on Ellesmere Island, Canada’s furthest northern landmass. The story focuses on a family of 10 wolves (6 adults and 4 pups) that I spent 1.5 months photographing and filming. The motivation for this project came out of my experiences trying to document the lives of gray wolves in Yellowstone and never feeling like I was able to do so because those wolves have a healthy fear of humans. Every wolf pack in Yellowstone has lost a pack member to hunting, so they have a necessary fear of humans.
Please follow along as I continue to post images from this assignment and check out the link in my bio to the digital article – Inside the harsh lives of wolves living at the top of the world – written by Neil Shea @neilshea13 #wolf #arcticwolf #nature #wild #hunting #predator #prey #whitewolf #kingdomofthewhitewolf #arctic #canada #animals #instadaily #instagood
This is a story about wolves that exist in a wilderness without competition with humans for the same food sources – wild game or livestock – and to show them for the intelligent family driven social mammals that they are. Since there is no wolf hunting in this area of Ellesmere Island, wolves view humans in a passive manner, rather than a fearful one. This allows for unparalleled access to their day-to-day lives like nowhere else on earth. My goal for this story is to remind us that wolves are complex social mammals that exist in nearly the same family structures as humans and engage in many of the same behaviors: playing, mourning, social learning, and hunting.
All this to say, that while wolves around the world are continually vilified and killed at will, here on Ellesmere, they are free to live out their lives free from the report of a rifle and the bite of a trap. They exist as the key apex predators that they are, managing the prey species that in turn brings balances the ecosystem. I’m posting imagery and stories from my article in the current issue of National Geographic Magazine (@natgeo) about a family of wild Arctic wolves living on Ellesmere Island, Canada’s furthest northern landmass. The story focuses on a family of 10 wolves (6 adults and 4 pups) that I spent 1.5 months photographing and filming. The motivation for this project came out of my experiences trying to document the lives of gray wolves in Yellowstone and never feeling like I was able to do so because those wolves have a healthy fear of humans. Every wolf pack in Yellowstone has lost a pack member to hunting, so they have a necessary fear of humans.
Please follow along as I continue to post images from this assignment and check out the link in my bio to the digital article – Inside the harsh lives of wolves living at the top of the world – written by Neil Shea @neilshea13 #wolf #arcticwolf #nature #wild #hunting #predator #prey #whitewolf #kingdomofthewhitewolf #arctic #canada #animals #instadaily #instagood
This is a story about wolves that exist in a wilderness without competition with humans for the same food sources – wild game or livestock – and to show them for the intelligent family driven social mammals that they are. Since there is no wolf hunting in this area of Ellesmere Island, wolves view humans in a passive manner, rather than a fearful one. This allows for unparalleled access to their day-to-day lives like nowhere else on earth. My goal for this story is to remind us that wolves are complex social mammals that exist in nearly the same family structures as humans and engage in many of the same behaviors: playing, mourning, social learning, and hunting.
All this to say, that while wolves around the world are continually vilified and killed at will, here on Ellesmere, they are free to live out their lives free from the report of a rifle and the bite of a trap. They exist as the key apex predators that they are, managing the prey species that in turn brings balances the ecosystem. I’m posting imagery and stories from my article in the current issue of National Geographic Magazine (@natgeo) about a family of wild Arctic wolves living on Ellesmere Island, Canada’s furthest northern landmass. The story focuses on a family of 10 wolves (6 adults and 4 pups) that I spent 1.5 months photographing and filming. The motivation for this project came out of my experiences trying to document the lives of gray wolves in Yellowstone and never feeling like I was able to do so because those wolves have a healthy fear of humans. Every wolf pack in Yellowstone has lost a pack member to hunting, so they have a necessary fear of humans.
Please follow along as I continue to post images from this assignment and check out the link in my bio to the digital article – Inside the harsh lives of wolves living at the top of the world – written by Neil Shea @neilshea13 #wolf #arcticwolf #nature #wild #hunting #predator #prey #whitewolf #kingdomofthewhitewolf #arctic #canada #animals #instadaily #instagood
It’s tough being the littlest one in a wolf snuggle-fest. Arctic wolves having a love rendezvous on the Canadian tundra. #wolf #arcticwolf #nature #wild #hunting #predator #prey #whitewolf #kingdomofthewhitewolf #arctic #canada #animals #instadaily #instagood #wolfden #puppy #wolfpup
It’s tough being the littlest one in a wolf snuggle-fest. Arctic wolves having a love rendezvous on the Canadian tundra. #wolf #arcticwolf #nature #wild #hunting #predator #prey #whitewolf #kingdomofthewhitewolf #arctic #canada #animals #instadaily #instagood #wolfden #puppy #wolfpup
It’s tough being the littlest one in a wolf snuggle-fest. Arctic wolves having a love rendezvous on the Canadian tundra. #wolf #arcticwolf #nature #wild #hunting #predator #prey #whitewolf #kingdomofthewhitewolf #arctic #canada #animals #instadaily #instagood #wolfden #puppy #wolfpup
A six week old wild Arctic wolf pup peeks at a remote camera from behind her father’s leg on the remote Canadian island known in Inuktitut as Umingmak Nuna, meaning “land of muskoxen.” In just a few weeks, this young pup will outgrow the den life and will start to follow the adults into the unknown. It will begin to learn about its vast home range and the sights and smells that will become its life for the years to come. She will learn from her parents how to survive in this harsh environment and eventually, how to hunt the mighty muskoxen. There’s a link in my bio to learn more about these wolves – both in a @natgeo magazine article in the September issue and a 3-part TV series now streaming.
Two Arctic wolf sisters, known as One Eye and Bright Eyes, howling at midnight on a frosty September morning on Ellesmere Island.
The pack had been traveling, but the four pups grew tired (swipe left to see the pups). The wolves with the tired young legs flopped into a furry pile at a rendezvous site while the rest of the pack continued. One Eye and Bright Eyes doubled back to check on the pups. All was well. They then howled to locate the others and the two adult sisters trotted off into the twilight and left the pups in a tired heap. This is just a snapshot of the lives of these wild Arctic wolves.
Follow the links in my bio to see the @natgeo 3-part TV series on these wolves as well as a link to the accompanying magazine article. #wolf #arcticwolf #nature #wild #hunting #predator #prey #whitewolf #kingdomofthewhitewolf #arctic #canada #animals #instadaily #instagood Nunavut
Two Arctic wolf sisters, known as One Eye and Bright Eyes, howling at midnight on a frosty September morning on Ellesmere Island.
The pack had been traveling, but the four pups grew tired (swipe left to see the pups). The wolves with the tired young legs flopped into a furry pile at a rendezvous site while the rest of the pack continued. One Eye and Bright Eyes doubled back to check on the pups. All was well. They then howled to locate the others and the two adult sisters trotted off into the twilight and left the pups in a tired heap. This is just a snapshot of the lives of these wild Arctic wolves.
Follow the links in my bio to see the @natgeo 3-part TV series on these wolves as well as a link to the accompanying magazine article. #wolf #arcticwolf #nature #wild #hunting #predator #prey #whitewolf #kingdomofthewhitewolf #arctic #canada #animals #instadaily #instagood Nunavut
At 12 weeks old, these Arctic wolf pups have left behind their blue eyes and milk teeth. Under the twilight of their first sunsets, they slowly transform into adolescents. Eating fresh meat, keeping up with the adults on travel days, soaking up everything they smell and see. It takes over a year to become a full fledged contributing adult in a wild wolf pack. Like humans, they have to learn how to hunt, how to avoid injury, and how to raise a family in some of the harshest environments on the planet. Photos are from my @natgeo magazine story. Links in my bio to that story and the accompanying TV series about these wolves. #wolf #arcticwolf #nature #wild #hunting #predator #prey #whitewolf #kingdomofthewhitewolf #arctic #canada #animals #instadaily #instagood
At 12 weeks old, these Arctic wolf pups have left behind their blue eyes and milk teeth. Under the twilight of their first sunsets, they slowly transform into adolescents. Eating fresh meat, keeping up with the adults on travel days, soaking up everything they smell and see. It takes over a year to become a full fledged contributing adult in a wild wolf pack. Like humans, they have to learn how to hunt, how to avoid injury, and how to raise a family in some of the harshest environments on the planet. Photos are from my @natgeo magazine story. Links in my bio to that story and the accompanying TV series about these wolves. #wolf #arcticwolf #nature #wild #hunting #predator #prey #whitewolf #kingdomofthewhitewolf #arctic #canada #animals #instadaily #instagood
Being the only pup at this den, this little six week old girl would always get so excited when one of the adults returned. Without any playmates her own size, she’d be all over the adults. Watch to the end for a pretty funny interaction between mom and this solo pup getting stuck in the den. I love these little moments between these wild families that take place everyday all over the world. These familial bonds are what sustains all social mammals, ourselves included. Ellesmere Island, Canada. See more Arctic wolves in the TV series called Kingdom of the White Wolf. Link in my bio. #wolf #arcticwolf #nature #wild #hunting #predator #prey #whitewolf #kingdomofthewhitewolf #arctic #canada #animals #instadaily #instagood #wolfden #puppy #wolfpup
One Eye leading the Polygon Pack during a hunting foray across the Arctic tundra. What do you think of wild wolves? Should they be allowed to roam freely, as they have for millennia, or should they be allowed only in those far reaching wilderness areas where humans rarely venture? If you’re curious about wolves and wilderness, I’d like to share with you a new three-part special event premiering this Sunday, August 25, from 8-11pm ET, on Nat Geo WILD. Come join me as I travel to the High Arctic, to a landscape uninhabited by humans, in pursuit of the legendary white wolf. These wolves have never been hunted, they are fearless and free, offering a chance to learn more about this mysterious social predator.
Directed by Tony Gerber @tgerber63 and filmed by Luke Padgett @severalpictures and Ronan Donovan @ronan_donovan #wolf #arcticwolf #nature #wild #hunting #predator #prey #whitewolf #kingdomofthewhitewolf #arctic #canada #animals #instadaily #instagood
Kingdom of the White Wolf – now available online. Links are in my bio and also on @disneyplus
The @natgeowild 3-part TV series represents the culmination of years of work and the collaboration of dozens of people who’ve worked tirelessly to create the final piece. I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who devoted their time and energy to this project.
Directed by Tony Gerber @tgerber63 at Market Road Films with its broadcast debut tonight on @natgeowild at 8PM ET, Kingdom of the White Wolf is a natural history series that will transport you to the High Arctic and embed you with a wild pack of wolves as they prepare for the coming winter. The series is narrated by Jenny Jules @juicyjules555 with an original score by @pablitobrill w cinematography by Luke Padgett @severalpictures and @ronan_donovan sound design by @woundedbuffalosound editing by @graphicsexproject @atfilms @quistabird color by @rcocolor produced by @tator_hmmm field producer Adam Amir @atfilms written by @tgerber63 with @neilshea13 associate producers @allegranik @jp_sweetpea network EP @pamela_caragol
Special thanks to Janet Han Vissering and Kathy Moran @kfmoran for developing this project over 2 years ago.
Kingdom of the White Wolf premieres this Sunday, August 25th at 8 PM Eastern Time on @natgeowild The series will be available to stream online Monday, August 26th on iTunes, @hulu @amazonprimevideo @natgeo TV and @googleplay_offical #arctic #wolves #wildlife #wilderness #nature #climatechange #meltingice #changingarctic #wolf #arcticwolf #nature #wild #hunting #predator #prey #whitewolf #kingdomofthewhitewolf #arctic #canada #animals #instadaily #instagood
Sponsored by @visitrwanda_now // This baby mountain gorilla was born on July 1, 2018 in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda. She is part of the increasing number of mountain gorillas that have begun to rebound since the 1980s when there were only ~250 left in the Virunga Mountains. Currently, the latest census puts their numbers at 604 gorillas here in Volcanoes National Park. It is a true conservation success story and Rwanda has been at the forefront of leading that effort.
The social media followers of National Geographic voted on what to name this new baby gorilla and the votes are in!
In the Kwita Izina naming ceremony that took place today (September 6, 2019) at the foothills of the Virunga Mountains, I had the honor of announcing her chosen name: Intego, meaning ‘’Purpose” – chosen because her life holds purpose in Rwanda’s effort to save endangered species.
Kwita Izina plays a key role in advancing conservation efforts for the endangered species and is modeled after a baby naming ceremony that has been part of Rwandan culture and tradition for centuries. // Incredible wildlife, spectacular landscapes and new adventures. Meet Rwanda’s mountain gorillas on your next holiday and discover a country committed to conservation. Follow @visitrwanda_now to learn more. #sponsored
Sponsored by @visitrwanda_now // This baby mountain gorilla was born on July 1, 2018 in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda. She is part of the increasing number of mountain gorillas that have begun to rebound since the 1980s when there were only ~250 left in the Virunga Mountains. Currently, the latest census puts their numbers at 604 gorillas here in Volcanoes National Park. It is a true conservation success story and Rwanda has been at the forefront of leading that effort.
The social media followers of National Geographic voted on what to name this new baby gorilla and the votes are in!
In the Kwita Izina naming ceremony that took place today (September 6, 2019) at the foothills of the Virunga Mountains, I had the honor of announcing her chosen name: Intego, meaning ‘’Purpose” – chosen because her life holds purpose in Rwanda’s effort to save endangered species.
Kwita Izina plays a key role in advancing conservation efforts for the endangered species and is modeled after a baby naming ceremony that has been part of Rwandan culture and tradition for centuries. // Incredible wildlife, spectacular landscapes and new adventures. Meet Rwanda’s mountain gorillas on your next holiday and discover a country committed to conservation. Follow @visitrwanda_now to learn more. #sponsored
Sponsored by @visitrwanda_now // This baby mountain gorilla was born on July 1, 2018 in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda. She is part of the increasing number of mountain gorillas that have begun to rebound since the 1980s when there were only ~250 left in the Virunga Mountains. Currently, the latest census puts their numbers at 604 gorillas here in Volcanoes National Park. It is a true conservation success story and Rwanda has been at the forefront of leading that effort.
The social media followers of National Geographic voted on what to name this new baby gorilla and the votes are in!
In the Kwita Izina naming ceremony that took place today (September 6, 2019) at the foothills of the Virunga Mountains, I had the honor of announcing her chosen name: Intego, meaning ‘’Purpose” – chosen because her life holds purpose in Rwanda’s effort to save endangered species.
Kwita Izina plays a key role in advancing conservation efforts for the endangered species and is modeled after a baby naming ceremony that has been part of Rwandan culture and tradition for centuries. // Incredible wildlife, spectacular landscapes and new adventures. Meet Rwanda’s mountain gorillas on your next holiday and discover a country committed to conservation. Follow @visitrwanda_now to learn more. #sponsored
The hand of our closest living relative – a wild chimpanzee. The long list of similarities that we share with chimps ranges from culture to tool use to language to family structure to infant care and many more. Just look at their hearty working hands. I’ve watched a chimp get the tip of his finger bit clean off in a skirmish and go back to feeding 10 minutes later. There hands and physique are certainly more robust than ours. A recent story just published online @natgeo about areas in Uganda where the similarities we share with chimps can lead to challenges living alongside them. Link in my bio.
A series of images from my latest article with National Geographic that published today, written by David Quammen (link in my bio).
Photo 1: Teddy Atuhaire was a four-year-old in Mukichanga village, when a chimp entered the house while her mother was gone and carried Teddy away into a tree. The chimp gashed her head, broke her arm so badly it had to be amputated, and dropped her. The years of recovery have been difficult. With her parents dead, her siblings dead or gone, she lives by occasional labor and care from her aunts.
Photo 2: A wild chimpanzee, known as Max to researchers, lost both of his feet to poachers’ snares in two separate incidents. Some of the people living nearby set snares in the National Park to trap antelope, bush pigs, and other animals for food. Chimps, despite a taboo in Uganda against eating them, become unintended victims and are strong enough to tear themselves free. But the snare cable remains and cuts off blood-flow to the limbs. About a third of the chimps in one community in Kibale National Park have suffered snare injuries.
Photo 3: An aerial photo depicts the area where both Teddy and Max live. One side is dominated by human agriculture and the other is what remains of Kibale National Park. The pressures put on the land by both humans and wildlife have created these unintended conflicts between humans and wild chimpanzees.
I’ll continue to post images and stories from this longterm story that I began in 2011. Learn more @bulindichimps
A series of images from my latest article with National Geographic that published today, written by David Quammen (link in my bio).
Photo 1: Teddy Atuhaire was a four-year-old in Mukichanga village, when a chimp entered the house while her mother was gone and carried Teddy away into a tree. The chimp gashed her head, broke her arm so badly it had to be amputated, and dropped her. The years of recovery have been difficult. With her parents dead, her siblings dead or gone, she lives by occasional labor and care from her aunts.
Photo 2: A wild chimpanzee, known as Max to researchers, lost both of his feet to poachers’ snares in two separate incidents. Some of the people living nearby set snares in the National Park to trap antelope, bush pigs, and other animals for food. Chimps, despite a taboo in Uganda against eating them, become unintended victims and are strong enough to tear themselves free. But the snare cable remains and cuts off blood-flow to the limbs. About a third of the chimps in one community in Kibale National Park have suffered snare injuries.
Photo 3: An aerial photo depicts the area where both Teddy and Max live. One side is dominated by human agriculture and the other is what remains of Kibale National Park. The pressures put on the land by both humans and wildlife have created these unintended conflicts between humans and wild chimpanzees.
I’ll continue to post images and stories from this longterm story that I began in 2011. Learn more @bulindichimps
A series of images from my latest article with National Geographic that published today, written by David Quammen (link in my bio).
Photo 1: Teddy Atuhaire was a four-year-old in Mukichanga village, when a chimp entered the house while her mother was gone and carried Teddy away into a tree. The chimp gashed her head, broke her arm so badly it had to be amputated, and dropped her. The years of recovery have been difficult. With her parents dead, her siblings dead or gone, she lives by occasional labor and care from her aunts.
Photo 2: A wild chimpanzee, known as Max to researchers, lost both of his feet to poachers’ snares in two separate incidents. Some of the people living nearby set snares in the National Park to trap antelope, bush pigs, and other animals for food. Chimps, despite a taboo in Uganda against eating them, become unintended victims and are strong enough to tear themselves free. But the snare cable remains and cuts off blood-flow to the limbs. About a third of the chimps in one community in Kibale National Park have suffered snare injuries.
Photo 3: An aerial photo depicts the area where both Teddy and Max live. One side is dominated by human agriculture and the other is what remains of Kibale National Park. The pressures put on the land by both humans and wildlife have created these unintended conflicts between humans and wild chimpanzees.
I’ll continue to post images and stories from this longterm story that I began in 2011. Learn more @bulindichimps
Sponsored by @burtsbees // Humans have never existed without a healthy natural system on this planet, so my life is not only possible because of what nature allows, but is routinely improved through my experiences with the natural world. As a National Geographic photographer, I am pledging to change for nature. // Post black using #NatureBlackout to stand together with the next generation during this week’s #UNClimateSummit. Take the pledge to make a difference at burtsbees.com/changefornature and @burtsbees will donate $10 for each pledge made to National Geographic Society up to $100,000!
