ARCTIC WOLF - FACE TO FACE WITH A COLD KILLER

Añadido: 2026-05-23

[00:00:00]Hello and welcome to Animal Watch. And today we're meeting the Arctic wolf.

[00:00:07]Today I fly into the cold, untamed wilds of Canada to come face to face with one of the most extraordinary animals on Earth, the Arctic wolf. Forged in one of the harshest environments on the planet, yet known for something almost unbelievable, the courage to approach humans. And today I'm stepping into their world to uncover everything about these incredible and fascinating creatures. But this is more than just a journey because today my viewers have the chance to be part of it. I'm offering once ina-lifetime experiences.

[00:00:48]A trip for two to Saskatoon to meet pure Arctic wolves up close with Sky Phoenix.

[00:00:55]A day with me in the UK alongside Ocean and River, the Blue Wolf Dogs, exploring castles and historic villages. An unforgettable uplose wolf experience in the stunning hills of Tuscanyany, Italy, and a rare close encounter with wolves at the UK's greenest and most ethical wolf rescue sanctuary in the world, Wolf Watch UK. This is your chance to step into their world and mine.

[00:01:31]Near the top of the world, beyond the last trees, lies the high Arctic, the remote northern islands of Canada, Elmere Banks, the Queen Elizabeth Islands, stretching towards northern Greenland, a frozen wilderness above 70° north, where temperatures plunge below - 40. And for months, the sun disappears entirely.

[00:02:00]One of the harshest environments on Earth. And yet, something thrives here.

[00:02:06]The Arctic wolf. A genetically distinct subspecies of greywolf, living its entire life on open tundra and ice.

[00:02:17]Everything about them is built for survival.

[00:02:27]I'm here in Canada in the middle of nowhere and it's freezing. It's minus 20. But I'm here to see in my opinion the most beautiful subspecies of wolf in the world. It lives in such a remote location. There's only about 10,000 in existence and they're famous for being the most boldest wolf subspecies in the world. They've been known to approach people and cameramen and even nibble their toes. Why is this? Well, this wolf subspecies is the only one that has missed out on thousands of years of persecution by men. So, it has not grown accustomed to being fearful to them.

[00:03:08]Now, if you haven't guessed what they are by now, then you better come with me and I'll show you. Come on.

[00:03:17]Hello. Anica, >> lovely to see you. It's nice to see >> Excited to be here.

[00:03:24]>> Yes. Welcome to a wolf adventure outreach and retreat.

[00:03:28]>> I can hear some howling.

[00:03:31]>> They thought I left them. So, they they want to make sure I find my way back.

[00:03:36]>> And I'm here today >> to see the most beautiful subspecies of wolf in the world.

[00:03:40]>> I can't wait. I can't wait. Why are you holding that?

[00:03:43]>> Uh, you'll find out.

[00:03:44]>> Is that for me?

[00:03:45]>> It's for you.

[00:03:46]>> Oh gosh. Let's go. I hope that's not the actual wolf, but okay.

[00:03:52]>> Come on. Lead the way. I can't wait.

[00:03:56]>> I may not be standing on the frozen expanse of Arctic Elmir Island, but I've found something just as powerful. Hidden in the wilds of Saskatchewan, Canada, Wolf Whisperer Sky Phoenix has created a breathtaking wolf sanctuary and retreat across 160 acres of forest and lakes.

[00:04:18]But it's not just the land that moves you. It's who lives there. Here, pure Arctic wolves, gentle, socialized, and deeply intuitive walk beside you. Close enough to truly feel, to truly connect.

[00:04:38]This nonprofit haven offers a place for those carrying trauma, children with learning difficulties, or anyone weighed down by sadness to breathe again. And here something remarkable happens. In the quiet presence of these wolves, people begin to heal. No judgment and no pressure. Just a deep ancient connection to nature and the land.

[00:05:09]Animals that seem to understand more than words ever could.

[00:05:15]Time and time again, Sky and her wolves have guided hundreds out of darkness through one powerful, unforgettable connection. It's more than a sanctuary.

[00:05:29]It's medicine for the soul.

[00:05:34]First, I'm off to meet the youngest Arctic wolf, Princess Moninoki. Noki Bear, as Skywarmly refers to her, is 2 years old and almost an adult. I can't wait. I crouch down exactly how I did with the wolves in Norway, as this allows the wolf to access your mouth more easily. Wolves insist on mouth contact when they meet you to determine who you are. They read everything from your breath, what you ate, how healthy you are, and if you are friend or foe.

[00:06:11]If I didn't crouch down, I would surely be bopped hard in the face. As if wolves can't reach your mouth, they will jump up themselves to reach it. And this can result in a bruised nose or clunked teeth.

[00:06:38]Oh, baby. Oh, baby.

[00:06:42]Good baby girl. Baby girl. There are about 10,000 Arctic wolves in northern Canada and Greenland.

[00:06:52]They're actually a lot smaller than you think.

[00:06:56]And why do you think they're so small?

[00:06:58]Because they have to conserve heat. So their ears are much smaller than normal grey wolves.

[00:07:06]They have a much smaller muzzle. And their body is small and compact. And a really fascinating fact is their pigmentation underneath the fur is actually dark. And you can see by their nose how black the skin is actually underneath. And the reason for that is to absorb the sunlight through the fur and keep them warm. Now, something you don't see or experience every day is that Noki Bear has her own beautiful, slightly mischievous ritual, and it tells you everything about her. Every time someone steps into her enclosure, she waits not for food, but for a gift.

[00:07:53]a soft toy. It's something she's loved since she was just a tiny pup, and it has stayed with her ever since. So, today, I've brought her something special. What happened next is something I'll never forget.

[00:08:19]Sky you show me your toy.

[00:08:21]>> Skye gently asks visitors to bring a soft toy for Noky Bear. And the moment she receives one, she comes alive. Her whole body wriggles with pure unfiltered joy. Ears softly pinned back. Little whimpers of excitement escaping. Her back end dancing with happiness. It's impossible not to feel it. Impossible not to melt. And in that moment, you realize this isn't just play. It's connection and trust. It's love in its simplest, most honest form.

[00:09:03]Standing there with her, feeling that energy. I could almost feel something inside me soften, like the weight of the world just lifted, even if only for a moment.

[00:09:18]Princess Moninoi is just as gentle with children, too. Sky has raised her with such care, such understanding that she has become something truly special. A wolf who doesn't just accept people, she loves them. And somehow in her joy, she teaches you how to feel it, too.

[00:09:43]This tale, though, has a chilling backstory.

[00:09:48]Princess Moninoki was born in May and the only reason Sky has her as a friend sent her to heal Sky from perhaps one of the most shocking stories to rock the wolf world.

[00:10:02]Kadama was just a baby, a young Arctic wolf born at Sky Outreach, already known for a heart far bigger than herself.

[00:10:14]She was gentle in a way that stayed with you. Like Princess Moninoi, she adored children and she loved her soft toys.

[00:10:25]Every time a child offered her one, her whole body would wrigle with happiness.

[00:10:31]That same innocent joy, that same pure trust. She was known as the gentlest of skies wolves, a puppy with a future as one of the most loved ambassador wolves the sanctuary had ever seen.

[00:10:48]And then came the morning of May the 18th, 2024.

[00:10:54]Skyw.

[00:10:56]Kadama was gone.

[00:10:59]The enclosure latch had been deliberately opened. This wasn't an accident. At just one year old, still a baby, Kadama had wandered out into the wilderness alone, Sky was frantic, heartbroken, searching everywhere for her young wolf, refusing to give up.

[00:11:22]Sky called everyone she knew locally, including neighboring Living Waters Bible Camp, whose land backed onto hers.

[00:11:31]She asked them if they had seen Kadama.

[00:11:34]They said no.

[00:11:36]They told her they hadn't seen a wolf, but that they would let her know immediately if they did.

[00:11:43]What Sky didn't know, what no one knew in that moment was that Kadama was already dead, shot by the very same camp that had just told her they hadn't seen her.

[00:12:00]It appears Kadama, young and affectionate, had wandered into the camp looking for comfort, for connection, for the same kindness she had always known.

[00:12:12]She had grown up surrounded by children who hugged her, played with her, and brought her cuddly toys. So when she saw children again, she did what she had always done. She went to them for love.

[00:12:28]What followed is almost impossible to comprehend.

[00:12:32]After interacting with the children at the camp, Kadama didn't want to leave.

[00:12:38]But instead of calling Sky, instead of simply returning her home, a man who ran the camp took hold of that trusting, playful pup, put a leash on her, and led her away out into the woods and shot her at point blank range.

[00:12:57]Then, as if to erase what they had done, they threw her body over the fence into indigenous land. This had all happened before Sky even had called them that morning, desperately asking if they had seen her baby. The truth was already lying lifeless in the woods.

[00:13:18]The story of Kadama spread, breaking hearts across the world because everyone who knew her knew exactly who she was.

[00:13:28]Not a wild threat, not a danger, but a loving, socialized puppy who trusted humans completely. And the camp knew it, too. They knew she came from next door.

[00:13:43]They knew she was habituated, raised among people.

[00:13:47]and they knew she was just a baby.

[00:13:51]There are no native wild Arctic wolves in this part of Canada, so Kadama wasn't lost in the wild. She was lost to human hands.

[00:14:06]It took Sky months to begin healing after the loss of Kadama. months of simply putting one foot in front of the other, burying herself in the quiet presence of her walls just to make it through each day. Then in the midst of that grief, something unexpected arrived. Princess Moninoki. She was a gift from friends at another wolf sanctuary. A gesture of love, of understanding, a hope that somehow she might help me a heart that had been so deeply broken. But nothing could have prepared Sky for that first moment. As Monaki arrived, Sky quite literally lost her breath because there in front of her, this little wolf gently picked up a toy and carried it in her mouth just like Kadama used to. the same innocence, the same softness.

[00:15:04]It was almost as if a piece of Kadama's spirit had found its way back, living quietly within this new life. And in those small, almost impossible similarities, something inside Sky began to heal.

[00:15:22]Little by little, Princess Moninoi now greets children with that same open heart. That same love Kadama once gave so freely. And through her, a light that was lost has found its way back again.

[00:15:42]There was one more Arctic wolf I was to meet, and this one Sky gently warned me, might be a little more complicated.

[00:15:51]It was Halo and he was deep in his winter breeding season. A time when hormones rise, instincts sharpen, and anxiety can take hold. Everything about him would be heightened and more intense. And then came the part that made my heart sink just a little.

[00:16:13]Apparently, he wasn't too keen on blonde women. Oh, no. I thought male wolves are seasonal breeders, and that's a key difference between wolves and dogs. In late autumn, testosterone rises, and by winter, males become fully fertile. Their testicles enlarge, and sperm production peaks. But once the season passes, hormone levels drop, their testicles regress, and they become infertile through spring and summer.

[00:16:45]Dogs, by contrast, can breed all year round. These winter wolf hormones don't just affect fertility. They affect behavior. Males can become more intense, more driven, sometimes more anxious or reactive, a phase often called winter wolf syndrome.

[00:17:06]Sky warns me that at this time of year, Halo's anxiety could make interaction unpredictable. and with his general preference for men over women put me at a slight disadvantage.

[00:17:21]However, Halo is known for a gentleness that runs far deeper than the eye can see. A quiet sensitivity in the way he connects, especially with children and those with trauma. He has in many ways become the heart of the retreat with his striking Arctic beauty, that thick white coat, small ears, wide, well-furred feet, and a haunting almost soulful singing voice. There is something about him that stays with you long after you've left. But it's not just how he looks, it's what he feels.

[00:18:02]Sky has witnessed moments that are almost beyond explanation.

[00:18:06]Times when Halo seems to sense without a word when someone is carrying something heavy. A child navigating learning difficulties or an adult weighed down by deep sadness. And in those moments, he moves towards them gently, carefully, offering his presence in a way that feels safe, grounding, and understood.

[00:18:31]It is as if he can see straight into the heart and chooses quietly to meet it with kindness. Now, I knew this wasn't going to be a simple introduction due to his hormones, but I was still up for the challenge and maybe I could convince him that blonde women were okay.

[00:18:50]Anukica, ready to go and meet Halo?

[00:18:53]>> Yeah, the famous Halo. I can hear him already.

[00:18:56]>> Halo with an amazing voice.

[00:18:58]>> Yeah. So, he's uh he's kind of funny.

[00:19:00]So, it's a time of year where in the higharctic, it's actually their breeding season between now and and April. So, pups are born throughout May and June with the Arctics. So, this time of year, even though he doesn't go through outright like hardcore seasonal aggression, he does seem to pick and choose a little bit more who he seems to like. And unfortunately, you got blonde hair and >> apparently for some reason like blonde hair.

[00:19:26]>> For some reason, it's eeny meenie miny mo. Um, you got blonde hair and >> Yeah. So, if he was if he was a human, he'd he'd be into brunettes basically.

[00:19:36]>> Yeah. Basically.

[00:19:37]>> And also, you were saying he likes men.

[00:19:39]>> He loves men all like, you know, >> and that's and that's so interesting because a lot of the time, >> you know, wolves and wolf dogs are intimidated by by big men, but he likes them.

[00:19:49]>> Yeah, they are. And I get that a lot for me. I all my animals, my wolves have always loved uh men. As we entered, I could see that Halo was definitely in winter wolf syndrome and changed my body language to put him at ease. He paced and was slow to come to us. But Sky advised both myself and the camera lady on how to behave to put him at ease.

[00:20:16]That's Anaka. She's got blonde hair, but maybe you like blondes today.

[00:20:21]Hey, there's extra fat in their paw pads themselves. It helps to prevent them from freezing. Um, it's like a little mini it's a little mini circulation system going on in there with the blood flow. So, it keeps the keeps everything at a lower freezing point. So, keeps their paw pads from getting all frozen.

[00:20:43]They also have like extra air pockets in their fur, which is like really interesting. And it keeps their keeps them warmer, keeps them cuz that fur is more dense with those extra air pockets.

[00:20:53]So more air pockets than say um our northwestern wolf up north. So they start breeding in March and April. So pups are born throughout May and even into June, even second week, third week of June. So it's a lot later um than other subspecies of wolves in general.

[00:21:12]And that corresponds with, you know, prey being born for their pups being born at the same time. They also have like smaller litters. One to three approximately is average for arcticles.

[00:21:26]I fed him some food and he started to come closer and feel safe. Eventually, he was happy for me to sit down in a chair inside the enclosure, and I was honored with a nose touch.

[00:21:38]>> Hello. Hello. How are you? Who are you?

[00:21:43]Oh, there's a good boy. Yeah, I know it's blonde hair. I'm sorry.

[00:21:45]>> Maybe he sensed that I was a kind blonde lady who loves wolves with all her heart. We then had a beautiful moment with him as he lifted his head to the sky and sung the song of his ancestors.

[00:22:04]But what I really wanted to learn from Sky was what her intention was when she opened the outreach, where she was currently and what she saw in the future.

[00:22:16]So many years ago, um, I'd come upon a wolf in a fox cage at a fur farm and it was in it was off the ground and it was just like a 4x4 box. He was 3 years old and he had never left that cage. His feet had never touched the ground.

[00:22:30]>> Wow.

[00:22:31]and I didn't know how to save this animal. Unfortunately, we had put in a bid to get him out of there, but they kept raising that bid and being so young >> um at the time, he just he went to a price that we just couldn't afford. They actually w up putting this wolf in some kind of petting zoo. I would go and visit him. I'd drive many hours and go sit with him every weekend.

[00:22:53]>> That's what got your interest in them.

[00:22:54]>> That's what got me going to save.

[00:22:56]>> Where did you get the first one then? He came out of a facility in Alberta for this place. Like I dreamt of having an Arctic, like an Arctic wolf outreach. I meet so many people that still are just terrified of wolves and don't understand what they're about. And they have this perception of movies like The Gray.

[00:23:15]And so they come out here and they're like, "Wow, you know, I've always been scared of wolves. It was on my bucket list to actually meet one."

[00:23:22]Unfortunately, you can still hunt them in areas of the Arctic, too, which I don't think they should be. It is really horrible, especially now that they've become like so socialized. I think outreach, especially in places where they are hunted and calls are common, which is my province, there's a lot of calls that are common and they don't do a number count. So, they kill as many as they want sometimes for, you know, a very low price and they don't do a number count here, >> which is like just tragic in itself, right?

[00:23:49]>> So, what is your vision with this place?

[00:23:52]What do you want to achieve when people come to stay here and interact with the wolves?

[00:23:56]>> It's a very healing environment. So, I find diverse groups and people on the margins are really attracted to this kind of place. So, it's a place of healing. So, people that go through divorces, um at risk youth, um women that have gone through abuse, YMCA, which is, you know, a lot of young men um that have been in trouble. And it just brings a a feeling of peace and connection not only with the lands but with a such a feared animal such as such as the wolf.

[00:24:26]>> And I think it's so important in this current world where everybody is on their mobile phone.

[00:24:30]>> Yes.

[00:24:31]>> To actually bring them back to nature.

[00:24:33]>> Oh, it is. I mean, kids come out here and their phones are put away. They're away from all the technology and they hear the birds. And you were saying that Halo is such a good ambassador with children that that have problems, >> have exceptionalities.

[00:24:50]So where a lot of people would think that the wolves might be more reactive to sort of strange behavior, you find he understands the children and the problems that they have and he knows that they've got a problem and he's super gentle with them.

[00:25:04]>> Does he does? Yeah.

[00:25:05]>> How many acres have you got here?

[00:25:07]>> 160.

[00:25:08]>> Oh, that's insane. And then in summer, you've got lakes, haven't you? And it all comes to life and it's all green.

[00:25:14]>> It is. Bears will walk right through the property.

[00:25:17]>> How beautiful it is.

[00:25:18]>> So, tell me what your dream is. What What would you like this place to be in in a dream >> to build as big as I can. I want the gift shop out here. I want to be able to have the healing lodge out here. Like a yoga retreat, wolf yoga yoga retreat. I can do that for a week straight cuz I've had wolf yoga out here. different venues out here that people can stay a night or a whole week.

[00:25:39]>> So, you have like an Airbnb pods or something. Do you know what I I think would be so beautiful out here? Like I've been to Finland and you get those beautiful little pods where you go to Lapland and you look at the auroras cuz you say the auroras are like spectacular out here, aren't they?

[00:25:55]>> Just want to like beam me up.

[00:26:01]Sky Phoenix is a true wolf advocate, not just in words, but in the life she has built. In the wilds of Saskatchewan, she has created a natural open sanctuary where her Arctic wolves are safe, protected, and able to live as close to free as possible. This is also a place of healing where people struggling with trauma, learning difficulties, or deep sadness come to reconnect and find peace.

[00:26:31]But now, this sanctuary is at risk of being lost. After suffering a traumatic brain injury in a serious car accident, Sky was misled during a vulnerable time into signing over the land to an exartner.

[00:26:46]She believed it would be returned once legal matters were resolved. Instead, she was served with divorce papers.

[00:26:54]Now, the land, the only home these wolves have ever known, could be taken from them. Through everything, Sky has never failed her wolves. They have always been safe, cared for, and loved.

[00:27:09]But now, she cannot protect them alone.

[00:27:12]She urgently needs to raise funds for a deposit to reclaim this land and secure their future. Without it, the sanctuary will be lost and the wolves who have helped heal so many people may lose everything. This outreach has already saved countless lives, human and animal.

[00:27:31]Now we need to save theirs. That is why I have come to Canada to see this with my own eyes to stand beside these walls and to ask you for your help. I've created a fundraising page filled with once in a lifetime experiences.

[00:27:50]First prize, an unforgettable journey for two to Saskatoon, where you will step into the world of pure Arctic wolves, standing beside them, feeling their presence, and sharing a deeply personal one-on-one day with Sky Phoenix herself. This is not a viewing, it's a rare, intimate connection few people on Earth will ever experience.

[00:28:16]And three more additional experiences are to be won by three lucky runner-ups.

[00:28:22]A truly special day with me here in the UK alongside my blue wolf dogs ocean and river exploring some of Britain's most breathtaking castles and hidden villages with these incredible animals walking beside us. A moment of history, beauty, and wild connection allinone.

[00:28:44]A once-ina-lifetime experience in the rolling sundrenched hills of Tuscanyany at the stunning wild soul wolf and wolf dog sanctuary where wolves and wolf dogs live against one of the most beautiful backdrops in the world offering a deeply moving and unforgettable encounter.

[00:29:05]an exclusive visit to the UK's most beautiful wolf rescue, Wolf Watch UK, where you will come face to face with Bosch, the towering and playful white wolf, and Anna, the European wolf, in a setting that allows for a rare and powerful connection with these extraordinary animals.

[00:29:28]Please, if you feel anything reading this, help us protect this land because without it, these wolves lose their home.

[00:29:37]These extraordinary once-ina-lifetime experiences have been generously given by people across the wolf world. People who understand just how urgent this moment is.

[00:29:49]Because we don't have time, we must raise $60,000 Canadian dollars. That's roughly £35,000 or $44,000 and we only have until July. Every single pound you give becomes an entry and there is no limit. The more you give, the greater your chance, but more importantly, the closer we get to saving this sanctuary and the wolves who call it home. I've also decided to offer an additional prize, something guaranteed and incredibly life-changing.

[00:30:28]For the single highest donation, there will be a guaranteed Arctic Wolf experience alongside Sky and her Arctic Walls. So, if you truly want to make a difference, to step forward in a meaningful way, not only will you be helping to save this sanctuary, you will be rewarded with a once-ina-lifetime deeply personal encounter with these extraordinary walls. This will be reserved exclusively for the highest donor subject to conditions. A rare experience for an extraordinary act of kindness.

[00:31:06]So please, if this story has moved you, if you feel that pull in your heart, act now. Click the link in the description below this video or on my social media pages. Be part of something real before it is too late. Once this is all safe and sound, this place, then Sky can build on this and she can get this place really up and running. Right now is actually quite terrifying.

[00:31:32]>> It's terrifying. Yeah, they're my life.

[00:31:35]They're my family to me. They've also saved not just human lives, but these future men and women will go on to never hurt a wolf.

[00:31:43]>> And so they're saving also countless wild wolves.

[00:31:46]>> What's the website for the outreach?

[00:31:48]>> Yeah. So I have I'm on all social media, Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, under a wolf adventure.

[00:31:54]>> So we need to to get these donations in to save all of these walls and build something incredible. This is one of the most beautiful episodes I've ever made and I hope you agree with me. And if you do, please give us a big like and um hike this video right up there. If you love Arctic wolves, ho it right up there. And subscribe to um Animal Watch, of course. And I will join you every week where we'll be bringing you more incredible wolves, wolf dogs, animal rescue, and conservation. Bye for now.

[00:32:31]Hello.

[00:32:41]Hello.