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S27 Ep1

White Falcon, White Wolf

Premiere: 8/1/2012 | 00:00:30 | NR

The film follows the perilous parenthood of two species - white gyrfalcons and Arctic wolves - on Canada's remote Ellesmere Island, where winter lasts nine months and raising young in such a hostile environment is a daily struggle.

About the Episode

Extending above the Arctic Circle in the far north of Canada, Ellesmere Island is one of largest untouched wildernesses on the planet.  Here, the animals have only three short months to raise offspring and prepare for the winter.  To succeed, their timing must be just right.  White Falcon, White Wolf follows two families, a breeding pair of gyrfalcons and a pack of Arctic wolves.  As nine months of snow and ice melt away, flowers bloom, young are born, and the struggle begins.

Gyrfalcons are the world’s largest and most powerful falcons.  Yet even for them, the pressure is on.  Last summer this pair’s two chicks died of starvation. Will the conditions be right this summer?  Will their best efforts be enough to keep this year’s chicks healthy?  Filmed in HD from a ledge adjacent to the nesting site, White Falcon, White Wolf provides an intimate portrait of this magnificent species.

Meanwhile, the pack of Arctic wolves wait with great anticipation for a sign that new pups have been born to their breeding female, who has spent a great deal of time in her den. When the pups arrive, the young wolf daughter will need to grow up. For now, however, she tends to let her curiosity get the best of her. Musk ox, snowy owls, Arctic hares and Arctic foxes round out the cast, as they too try to make the most of the precious Arctic summer. Buy the DVD. The film premiered October 26, 2008.

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PRODUCTION CREDITS

Television Credits

Narrated By
F. MURRAY ABRAHAM

Producer
FERGUS BEELEY

Directors
JONNY KEELING
MIKE DILGER

Photography
MARK SMITH
IAN McCARTHY

Film Editor
TIM COOPE

Music
ANNE NIKITIN

Dubbing Editor
PAUL CLARK

Dubbing Mixer
STEVE WILLIAMS

Colorist
JONATHON PROSSER

Online Editor
STEVE OLIVE

Graphics
BDH, BRISTOL

Script Consultant
SUE WESTERN

Scientific Advisers
DAVID MECH
EUGENE POTAPOV

Field Assistants
JIM McNEILL
MIKE FARRIS
BOB SAUNDERS

Assistant Producer
HARRY HOSKYNS-ABRAHALL

Production Coordinator 
CHARLOTTE GODFREY

Production Manager
SALLY MARK

The BBC Wishes To Thank:
ICE WARRIOR LTD
WHITNEY & SMITH, ALBERTA
SNOWSLED, TETBURY
PARKS CANADA
THE ELDERS GRISE FIORD
DR GREG HENRY
ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE
AZIZ KHERAZ

Series Editor
TIM MARTIN

BBC Bristol

© 2008 BBC All Rights Reserved

For NATURE

Series Editor
JANET HESS

Supervising Producer
JANICE YOUNG

Senior Producer
LAURA METZGER

Producers
IRENE HESS
JILL CLARKE

Production Manager
JULIE SCHAPIRO THORMAN

Production Assistant
JAYNE JUN

Manager
EILEEN FRAHER

Re-Recording Mixer
ED CAMPBELL

Online Editor
DAVID NOLING

Offline Editor
STACEY DOUGLASS MOVERLEY

Series Producer
BILL MURPHY

Executive In Charge
WILLIAM GRANT

Executive Producer
FRED KAUFMAN

A Co-Production of Thirteen/WNET New York and BBC

This program was produced by Thirteen/WNET New York, which is solely responsible for its content.

© 2008 Educational Broadcasting Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

 

Web Credits

Producer
TANNER VEA

Designer
JOY WEEENG

Pagebuilding
BRIAN SANTALONE 

Technical Director
BRIAN LEE

Creative Director
NICK MILLER

Director of Digital Strategy
DAVID HIRMES

Director of Production
DANIEL B. GREENBERG

Writing
ANGELA SAKRISON

Photos © Mark Smith, 2007. Other images from White Falcon, White Wolf.

Thirteen Online is a production of Thirteen/WNET New York’s Kravis Multimedia Education Center in New York City. Dan Goldman, Executive Director, thirteen.org. Bob Adleman, Business Manager.

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