The Man who Eats, Sleeps, and Lives with Wolves | 60 Minutes Australia

Summary

The video follows Sean Ellis, a researcher who has spent 20 years living with and studying wolves to understand their behavior and communication. Known as 'The Wolfman,' Ellis has lived among wolves in the wild and raised wolf pups as part of his unique research. His work aims to bridge the gap between humans and wolves by using their natural behaviors to prevent conflict with farmers. Despite the risks and personal sacrifices, Ellis remains dedicated to his mission of protecting wolves and fostering coexistence between humans and these misunderstood animals.

Takeaways

• 🐺 Sean Ellis has spent 20 years living, eating, and studying wolves in the wild to understand their behavior and language.
• 🔬 He takes an unconventional approach to research, fully immersing himself in the wolves' world, living with them in an animal park in England.
• ⚖️ Sean's goal is to use his research to help prevent conflicts between wolves and humans by teaching wolves to stay away from farms and ranches.
• 🐾 Sean raised three young wolf pups rejected by their mother, modeling his actions after the behavior of wild wolf packs.
• 🩹 Despite being bitten and injured multiple times, Sean has developed a close bond with the wolves, even allowing them to clean and heal his wounds.
• 💔 Sean’s commitment to wolves took a toll on his family life, resulting in his wife leaving him with their children, but he found a new partner, Helen, who supports his passion.
• 🌲 Sean's ultimate goal is to live with wolves in their natural habitat, in remote mountains and rangelands, to better understand them.
• 📢 He believes wolf howls can be used as a tool to keep wolves away from human settlements by simulating territorial boundaries.
• ⚠️ Living with wolves is dangerous, and Sean has faced severe injuries, but he continues to work closely with the pack, establishing himself as a peacemaker.
• 🌍 Sean hopes his research will create better understanding and coexistence between humans and wolves globally, especially in areas like Yellowstone National Park.

Q & A

Who is Sean Ellis and why is he called the 'Wolfman'?

Sean Ellis is a researcher who has spent 20 years studying wolves in the wild, even living, eating, and sleeping with them to better understand their behavior. Due to his close interaction with wolves, he's called the 'Wolfman.'

Why do people generally fear wolves, according to the script?

People fear wolves due to their portrayal in fairy tales, horror movies, and pop culture as dangerous, bloodthirsty beasts. Examples include the Big Bad Wolf and werewolves.

What is the goal of Sean Ellis' research with wolves?

Sean Ellis aims to understand wolves' natural behavior and language from within their packs to help prevent conflicts between wolves and humans, particularly by teaching wolves to avoid farms and ranches.

How did Sean Ellis begin raising the wolves in the UK?

Sean found three wolf pups that had been rejected by their mother and decided to raise them by mimicking the behavior of a wild wolf pack, essentially becoming their teacher and caretaker.

How does Sean Ellis communicate with the wolves, and what role does he play in their pack?

Sean Ellis communicates with the wolves using body language and vocalizations. He started as the pack leader but later allowed Yana, the alpha male, to take over. He now acts as a 'peacemaker,' helping resolve conflicts within the pack.

What dangers does Sean face living with wolves, and how does he cope with them?

Sean frequently faces physical confrontations, including bites that lead to wounds and concussions. Despite the dangers, he continues living with the wolves, who even help clean and heal his wounds more effectively than traditional medical methods.

How has Sean Ellis' work with wolves affected his personal life?

Sean's intense dedication to wolves led to the breakdown of his family life, with his wife leaving him and taking their children. However, he later found a partner, Helen Jeffs, who supports his work and has also developed a bond with the wolves.

What method does Sean Ellis propose for keeping wolves away from farms and ranches?

Sean uses recorded wolf howls as a territorial warning to keep wolves away from certain areas. When wolves hear these howls, they interpret them as another pack's territory and stay away.

What impact has Sean's work had on the conflict between wolves and humans, especially in places like Yellowstone National Park?

Sean's work offers a potential solution for reducing conflict between wolves and humans by better understanding wolf behavior. His method of using recorded howls could help protect farms and ranches, reducing the need for culling wolves.

What is Sean Ellis' ultimate goal with his research on wolves?

Sean's ultimate goal is to live with wolves in their natural habitats, such as remote mountains and rangelands, to continue learning from them and bridge the gap between human and wolf understanding.

Outlines

00:00

🐺 Living with Wolves: Sean Ellis' Unconventional Experiment

The script introduces Sean Ellis, a researcher known for his extraordinary approach to studying wolves. Sean has spent 20 years living among wolves, trying to understand their behavior and language. Unlike most scientists who observe from a distance, Sean fully integrates into the pack by eating, sleeping, and communicating with them. His research, conducted at an animal park in England, aims to understand wolves better and possibly reduce human-wolf conflicts.

05:00

🍼 Raising Wolf Pups: A Unique Approach to Pack Behavior

Sean Ellis raised three young wolf pups after their mother rejected them, mimicking the behavior of a wild pack to teach them essential survival skills. He establishes himself as a 'den mother,' ensuring their social development through actions such as biting their ears to elicit important sounds of submission. Despite the danger and frequent injuries, Sean is dedicated to raising these wolves while living in close quarters with them, displaying the hierarchical structure of a wolf pack.

10:01

💔 Personal Sacrifices for the Wolf Pack

Sean's obsession with the wolves takes a toll on his personal life, resulting in his wife leaving him with their four children. Despite this, he finds love again with Helen, who initially questions his lifestyle but eventually embraces his connection with the wolves. Their relationship is unconventional, with them communicating through howls while Sean spends most of his time with the wolves. Helen even joins Sean in his work, despite the real danger posed by the wolves' powerful jaws.

Keywords

💡Sean Ellis

Sean Ellis is the main subject of the video, a researcher who has spent over 20 years living and working with wolves. His unique approach involves becoming part of a wolf pack to understand their behavior and language. He is portrayed as both 'genius' and 'crazy' due to his extreme dedication, including living, eating, and sleeping with wolves.

💡Wolf Pack

A wolf pack is a social group of wolves that function together for hunting and protection. In the video, Sean Ellis becomes integrated into a wolf pack to observe their dynamics, learn their communication, and understand how they establish social hierarchies. This concept is central to the video as it forms the basis of his research and interaction with the wolves.

💡Alpha Male

The alpha male is the dominant wolf in a pack, responsible for leading and making decisions for the group. In the video, Yana is introduced as the alpha male of the pack that Sean studies. Initially, Sean was the top dog, but over time he allowed Yana to take over this position, showcasing the hierarchy's importance in wolf behavior.

💡Wolf Language

Wolf language refers to the system of communication wolves use, which includes body language, vocalizations, and other behaviors. Sean Ellis's goal in the video is to learn this language from within the pack, allowing him to better understand their needs and communicate with them. He uses this knowledge to help mitigate conflicts between wolves and humans.

💡Conflict with Humans

This refers to the long-standing tensions between wolves and humans, especially farmers and ranchers. The video highlights how wolves, when living close to human settlements, pose a threat to livestock, leading to calls for culling. Sean's research aims to reduce this conflict by using wolf behavior to keep them away from farms, such as broadcasting wolf howls to deter other wolves.

💡Hierarchy

Hierarchy in a wolf pack determines the roles and status of each member, with stronger individuals taking leadership roles and weaker members being subordinate. Sean Ellis focuses on maintaining and studying the social hierarchy within the pack, which is vital for their survival. He frequently engages in behaviors like wrestling with the wolves to reinforce his position within the group.

💡Human-Wolf Interaction

Human-wolf interaction in the video is exemplified by Sean's hands-on approach to studying wolves. Instead of observing from a distance, he fully integrates into their world, mimicking their behaviors and living alongside them. This interaction is key to his unique research and the understanding of how humans can coexist with wolves.

💡Wolf Conservation

Wolf conservation is the effort to protect and preserve wolf populations, which have been endangered due to human activity. Sean’s work is framed as part of a larger conservation effort, aiming to save wolves from extinction by understanding and mitigating the conflict between wolves and humans. His insights into wolf behavior could help prevent unnecessary culling and foster peaceful coexistence.

💡Wolf Howling

Wolf howling is a vocalization used by wolves to communicate with each other, often to mark territory or locate members of their pack. In the video, Sean teaches young wolf pups to howl and uses recorded wolf howls to keep wild wolves away from farms, illustrating how important this form of communication is in managing wolf behavior.

💡Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park in the U.S. is highlighted as a site where wolves were reintroduced after being exterminated by hunters. Sean Ellis studied wolf packs in Yellowstone to understand how their reintroduction affected the local ecosystem and farmers. This location is significant as it serves as an example of both successful conservation and ongoing conflict between wolves and ranchers.

Highlights

Sean Ellis, known as 'The Wolfman,' has spent over 20 years studying wolves in the wild, living, eating, and sleeping with them.

Sean lives among wolves, learning their behaviors and communication by becoming part of their pack.

His research aims to understand wolf language and behaviors to prevent conflicts between humans and wolves.

Sean uses body language to interact with wolves and establish his place in their hierarchy, which can be dangerous.

Sean’s approach is unconventional—he mimics the wolves' behaviors, such as biting the pups to teach them pack dynamics.

He faces physical dangers from the wolves, often being bitten or injured but remains committed to his work.

Sean’s obsession with wolves led to the breakdown of his marriage, but he later found love with Helen Jeffs, who supports his work.

Sean communicates with his partner Helen across valleys by howling, imitating wolves, which she found romantic.

Sean believes wolves can help heal wounds faster by keeping them clean through licking.

The reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone National Park sparked conflicts with ranchers, and Sean hopes to mediate between wolves and humans.

Sean’s innovative solution involves using recorded wolf howls to keep other wolf packs away from farmland and human settlements.

He raises wolf pups as a pack leader, teaching them behaviors they would need in the wild.

Wolves’ powerful jaws and strength pose significant risks, and Sean's position in the pack involves constant wrestling and dominance struggles.

Despite physical risks and health concerns, such as fleas and worms, Sean believes living with wolves has kept him healthier than living in human society.

Sean’s ultimate goal is to live with wolves in the wild, answering the 'Call of the Wild' by integrating fully into their natural environment.

Transcripts

from childhood we're taught to fear and

loathe them just think back there's the

big bad wolf of the fairy Stories the

werewolf in the horror flicks even

Wolverine from X-Men evil dangerous

bloodthirsty beasts

so how could anyone possibly make

friends with a pack of wolves good

question and there's only one bloke with

the answer Sean Ellis is from that rare

breed of researchers part genius part

crazy he spent 20 years studying them in

the wild eating sleeping Living With

Wolves trying to learn their language

finding out what makes them so

frightening it really is hair raising

stuff no wonder they call him the

Wolfman

this is for Real

it's not some circus stunt

Sean Ellis actually lives eats and

sleeps with the wolves

it's an extraordinary experiment most

scientists stand back and watch but

Sean's in there teeth and all learning

how to communicate with these wild

animals

everybody's going to think some guy that

lives in here with these guys for 18

months shares their world shares their

food is gonna be crazy and maybe they're

right maybe you do have to have an

element of craziness in you to do this

Sean's experiment is taking place in the

most unlikely location

an animal park in the Sleepy west of

England

it's pretty heavy oh yeah

I've arrived right on dinner time best

not to come empty-handed

[Music]

oh yeah

okay if you want to go through first but

first Sean wants to introduce me to the

pack

it's good I'm just gonna kind of have a

look at you now he tells me I'll be okay

the trick is to stay calm no matter what

yeah right

back on it that's good well done

excellent the term big bad wolf comes to

mind yeah yeah these are not big and not

bad all he wants to know is where you're

going to be are you a threat to his

position

um how strong are you all the

information you're in there giving him

will tell him that everything's okay

around the world conflict with humans

has decimated wolf numbers

but Sean believes his research can help

save them by understanding and using

their natural behavior what I wanted to

do was find out about their language

from inside their pack teach the walls

all they need to know to be in contact

with us to stay away from farms and

ranchers and boundaries almost as a

tribal Elder yeah a tribal Elder a wolf

tribal Elder good point are you going to

read any of this I might have a tuck in

actually let's say we go you're a better

man than I am well I'll just stick it on

the dinner table okay mate

Sean believes to really understand the

Wolves he has to do what they do even

eat what they eat well I'll let you have

a good feed bon appetit

[Music]

is the wolf really in danger of

extinction some are some wolves are very

very threatened some subspecies of wolf

people fear the wolf they fear what it

does they fear what it can do and

because of that they can very quickly

plummet in numbers through coals or

through shooting and fear-based shooting

at that

this conflict between wolf and man

breaks out everywhere they live side by

side like at America's famous

Yellowstone National Park

Sean studied the packs reintroduced here

10 years ago after being wiped out by

shooters

he's watched as the wolves have invaded

nearby property angering the local

ranchers who now want to resume culling

we can't be completely pro-wolf and

completely Pro farming we have to be

somewhere between the two and try to get

the two to understand each other through

an experience and acceptance of each

other's world

[Music]

three years ago Sean's worldwide search

for an answer brought him to this little

corner of England

and by chance he found just what he

needed three young wolf pups rejected by

their mother

the more I'm trying to get apart he's

clamping down more and more Sean sets

out to raise them from scratch this

little wolfy love bait following the

behavior of a wild pack as closely as

possible

to anybody watching that may seem very

very cruel biting a young wolf on the

air to make him squeal but the squeal is

very very important to his development

because he's giving you a sound that

means you've hurt him

he moves in with them becoming their

teacher their den mother

day and night and in all weather

[Music]

hiding morsels in his mouth for the pups

just like adult wolves in the wild

we've come to know and love his family

and to me they are brothers sisters

father mother

this constant wrestling as Sean

establishes the social hierarchy of

wolves crucial for survival as a pack

it's dangerous work

as the pup's strength grows and they Vie

for dominance there are Fierce

confrontations he's frequently bitten

and covered with wounds

he got the stage where where you no

longer bother um you go and get stitched

up come back the walls take the stitches

out clean the wound and it heals in a

fraction of the time so this was only

the Wolves take the stitches out yeah

they they have a an ability to heal you

just keep constantly cleaning until the

wound is so clean that it heals on a

fraction of the time as you'd expect

he's had problems with worms but

amazingly Shawn's as healthy as he's

ever been

I bet you've had some ticks and plays

yeah ticks fleas worms

um everything that dogs have had at one

stage or another I've had wolf worms

wolf worms it's great um But the irony

of it is you get very little with these

guys

coals flus upset stomachs ironically now

seems a thing of the past and you're

never more healthier than you are in

here with these guys

[Music]

but Sean's obsession with the pups did

take a great toll on his own family life

finally his wife left him taking their

four kids

[Music]

imagine it's a Sandpiper but then he

found his soul mate here we go hey thank

you

so we're gonna walk that down Helen

Jeffs a child care worker living here in

[ __ ] Martin so you like his wolfy smell

no it looked really it's just when I met

Sean that's what he was he's always been

the wolf man it's his you know probably

some of your friends actually asked the

same question oh yeah yeah it was quite

an established in shape like oh my God

you know does he not smell and how could

you want to kiss him after he's been

with the wolves and things like that but

never it never really bothered me at all

still with Sean spending most of his

hours in the wolf enclosure meetings

were rare and obviously she couldn't see

me at that point because obviously I was

raising the pups so we used to

communicate to each other by having us

across the valley so I hell with the

walls and she'd answer me and then I'd

held back it's the only contact I had

seriously it was very romantic

how do you how to say I'll see you down

the pub

I'm excited yeah you didn't teach me

that yeah

already

okay set yourself down but when they

jump on my head should be fine being in

love with a man so consumed by Wolves

Helen soon came to love them too now

she's part of the team

and she knows better than most that even

young pups like these pose real dangers

the Ferocious power of the wolf's Jaws

is twice that of a German Shepherd

I find it very very frightening I worry

so much for him when he's in there

there's been some nasty occasions and

and and for me

um being Sean's partner definitely the

the bites onto the back of the The Head

and the neck are the worst he's had

concussion yeah the walls compressing

the back of his head absolutely

since the experiment began Sean's

position in the pack has changed

he started out as top dog but as the

Wolves grew he allowed Yana the alpha

male to take over

Sean's now looked on as The Peacemaker

often stepping in when fights break out

I still

can't help but feel it's a bit like

swimming with sharks it's always that

unpredictability isn't that yeah but it

makes no sense to them to hurt or injure

or kill something that's going to help

to protect them and it's almost it would

be rude for them to do anything to you

without asking me I'm glad are you there

the two boys are very much strength

orientated trying to push against you

and this is a good key at the moment

because if you're on a food with him

you've only got about eight inches of

which to feed on so if you push back

against him show him that you're strong

enough to hold your own then he takes

more respect from that yeah I guess

that's what they mean by body language

that's good it sounds good yeah but

these guys have other ways of expressing

themselves too

small out oh

four thanks very much that's okay and

he's not the biggest or not the the more

dominant pack members it almost makes

your eyes water takes your breath away

um so that's that wolf pee is a present

for me that's a present for you that's

to say to you I've never found out about

you and what you're all about no this is

me and you're expected now to identify

him through that sin

oh

but the Wolves most powerful way of

communicating is their distinctive how

when they were tiny Sean taught the pups

how to do it

Sean's now convinced he can use recorded

house to keep Wolves Away from Farmland

[Music]

in the wolf world this is a territorial

warning

when they hear it Sean's wolves become

Restless in the wild they would flee

[Music]

Sean now has a set weapon to control

marauding Wolves

At Last an answer for the farmers and

ranchers from Europe to Yellowstone

so by broadcasting that sound out into

the hills it keeps all the other Wolves

Away yeah basically we say to them that

this particular area Farm a ranch or

town or city is already occupied by a

pack of walls

Sean Ellis is a dreamer whose years of

studying wolves have taken him closer to

their world than any man before

do you ever wish he'd been born a wolf

it's tempting sometimes when you when

you spend long periods of time with them

um think where I am at the moment

between Both Worlds is where I needed to

be interpreting the wolf world to the

humans and the human world to the wolf

but now he wants to go further

to live with them in their remote

mountains and rangelands

to answer the Call of the Wild

out there running with the walls in the

wild that's got to be my ultimate goal

[Music]

hello I'm Tom steinford thanks for

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