Wolfblood Uncovered (2013) s01e03 Episode Script

How can Wolfbloods run so fast and for so long? Why are their senses so intense? And why is family so important to them? It all comes down to the extraordinary wild wolves that they share so many qualities with.
In this series, we'll uncover the truth about wolves and reveal just why Wolfbloods are the way that they are.
This is Wolfblood Uncovered.
In this episode, we'll explore wolf intelligence.
And find out how their cunning nature has played a part in saving them from extinction.
Being a Wolfblood does have its advantages.
They're extremely strong, lightning fast and have super senses.
But it does have its drawbacks too.
It's not always easy for Maddy and Rhydian to lead a normal teenage life.
They have to constantly have their wits about them to stop people finding out their secret.
Because of this, they have to be able to think on their feet and be very good at problem solving.
Leading up to Maddy's first transformation, she also had exams to think about.
And in one of them, the pressure got too much and she almost transformed.
Forcing Rhydian to come to her rescue with a resourceful distraction.
Nice of you to show your face, Rhydian.
Now, settle down, everyone.
You have exactly one hour, starting now.
You may open your papers.
Walk! Don't panic! Stay calm everybody, please.
Maddy? It's over.
OK? Just keep calm.
Deep breaths, yeah? Rhydian Morris, you are in big trouble, young man.
So intelligence and problem solving ability is clearly important to Wolfbloods, if they want to keep their secret.
But is it part of their wolf-like abilities? Well, actually, it could be because wolves are known for being particularly smart.
So, what makes them so clever? They have big brains.
30% bigger than the average dog.
They have good memories and they have demonstrated the ability to learn and apply knowledge.
There are lots of accounts that illustrate this capacity for learning.
For example, during the heyday of buffalo hunting wolves apparently learned to head towards the sound of gunshot.
Then would wait while hunters skinned out the buffalo and eat the abandoned carcasses as soon as the hunters left.
So, how else does this intelligence benefit them in their everyday lives? Well, it's thought that it could help them survive in the diverse range of changing environments that they make their home.
They may have become good at problem solving because of the variety of challenges they face, in the many different habitats that they live in.
From frozen wastelands to dense forests.
And depending on where they are, and what time of the year it is their food sources vary hugely.
So they have to be able to decide what food they want to look for.
And that's when their excellent memories come in handy.
They learn from experience that herds of prey don't move randomly but visit their favourite feeding grounds at certain times of the year.
This knowledge is passed from one generation to the next and from year to year, they can remember where their prey should be at any time.
It's almost as if they have some kind of mental map of the area and the different prey sources that live in here.
All their prey have their pros and cons and working out what to hunt and when, is vital to a successful kill.
They need this learned knowledge to help them select the easiest prey to hunt at that time.
For example, they know that bighorn sheep are relatively small but they live in groups and have serious headgear.
Whereas animals like moose are much bigger, but solitary and roam large territories.
This ability to make mental maps of their territories and remember their prey's movements is probably key to their success as predators.
So perhaps Maddy and Rhydian's problem solving ability is partly down to the fact they're Wolfbloods.
But in their quest to keep who they really are a secret it's not always about solving problems.
Sometimes they have to be cunning, too.
Like when Rhydian was locked up in the police station during the full moon.
Maddy and her parents had to think of a way to outwit the police so they'd release Rhydian before he transformed.
They're keeping him overnight.
They can't.
They can't! Hang on, Dan.
If you run now, you can make it to the moor.
And leave you? Rhydian's going to be in that cell when the moon rises.
At least you can get away.
That's it! You can get Rhydian out of there, Dad if you tell them what'll happen if you don't.
- What? - You need to tell them I suggest you take your family home and come back for this one in the morning.
I'll show you out.
Very well, but there's something that you need to know.
Rhydian suffers from a psychological condition known as clinical lycanthropy.
- He thinks he's a werewolf? - Exactly.
It's a recognised psychological condition.
Every full moon, he gets distressed, even uncontrollable.
And I'm not talking bad behaviour.
I mean, serious physical symptoms.
Right, right, OK.
If you don't believe me, you can talk to his psychiatrist.
Panic attacks.
Animal behaviour.
Growling.
Snarling.
Scratching at the door trying to get out.
- I really don't - Rhydian is in your custody.
And now that you understand the full context of his behaviour if he comes to any harm in that room, it's your fault.
Inspector Bolton.
Please, release him into my care before he does any real harm.
Navigating teenage life may seem very different to life as a wolf.
But, surprisingly, over the centuries, wolves have had to outwit people a lot.
And if accounts are to be believed, then they're pretty good at it.
In North America, wolves have been hunted throughout history because they were known to kill livestock and they were wiped out from huge parts of their range.
But despite widespread trapping, poisoning and shooting some individuals dodged the persecutors and in the process, they became local legends.
One of those legends was a wolf called Lobo.
Ranchers tried to kill him by poisoning carcasses, but he didn't eat them.
The tried to kill him with traps and by hunting parties but these efforts also failed.
Eventually, a man called Ernest Thompson Seton was offered a reward for capturing Lobo.
He subsequently wrote a book about this experience because Lobo was so successful at avoiding capture.
What initially started as a two week job became an epic battle which lasted months.
And ultimately, changed the way Seton felt about wolves.
He tried all methods of hunting him down, but Lobo always managed to get away.
Wolf biologists believe that when you repeatedly trap and catch wolves in a particular area, they get educated.
You teach them how to avoid getting caught.
So wolves like Lobo that survived being captured learned from the traps, guns and the poison that people were using to kill them.
Seton did eventually kill Lobo.
By capturing and killing his mate, Blanca.
Then tempting him in with her body.
Lobo's loyalty to his mate was his undoing.
He was the last wolf that Seton killed.
And Seton's experience with Lobo permanently changed his attitude to this incredible creatures.
His story of Lobo touched the hearts of many and is thought to be partly responsible for changing views towards the environment and may have played a part in starting the conservation movement.
So, although that is a sad story, it did have positive outcomes.
It shows that wolves have the capacity to be extremely intelligent.
And that's important when it comes to catching their prey and avoiding being caught themselves.
So it's not just teenagers who turn into wolves that have to be cunning and clever.
You have to get out of here, like now! What? Why? I'm comfy.
The blood test, you idiot! They'll see you're not human.
They'll find out you're a Wolfblood.
Let me get the door for you.