Wolves at Our Door | |
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Directed by | Jim Dutcher |
Written by | Mose Richards |
Produced by | Jim Dutcher |
Narrated by | Richard Kiley |
Cinematography | Jim Dutcher |
Distributed by | Discovery Channel |
Release date |
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Running time | 52 minutes |
Wolves at Our Door is a 1997 documentary film about the "Sawtooth Pack", a group of wolves in the Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho, United States. The film was produced and directed by Jim Dutcher and first aired on The Discovery Channel. It is narrated by Richard Kiley. A two–hour sequel, Living with Wolves, was released in 2005.
In 1990, filmmaker, Jim Dutcher, began observing a pack of wolves in the Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho. Later joined by his wife, Jamie Dutcher, the couple hand-raised and bottle fed pups before releasing them within a larger encampment. [1] Having gained their trust, the Dutcher's were able to film and record the wolves in close proximity. Using both visual and audio recordings, they documented the pack's hierarchy, vocalizations, and behavior. [2]
Initially starting with one pair of adults, Makuyi and Akai, the pack grew to include: [3] [4] [5]
The final surviving pack member, Piyip, died on July 5, 2013 (age 17).
The Discovery Channel first aired the film on October 27, 1997. It was the channel's most successful wildlife documentary film and would garner three Emmy Award nominations, winning two for cinematography and sound mixing. [6] It was released on DVD on June 19, 2001.
In 1998 Wolves at Our Door was nominated for an Emmy Award in the Outstanding Nonfiction Special category. [7] Jim Dutcher received the Emmy award for Outstanding Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming. [8] Jamie Dutcher received the Emmy award for Outstanding Sound Mixing for Nonfiction Programming. [9]
The coyote is a species of canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecological niche as the golden jackal does in Eurasia. The coyote is larger and more predatory and was once referred to as the American jackal by a behavioral ecologist. Other historical names for the species include the prairie wolf and the brush wolf.
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Jim Dutcher, is an American naturalist, cinematographer, director and author. He has written eight books and produced three wildlife films about wolves. Jim and his wife, Jamie Dutcher, are the creators of the two-time Emmy winning documentary, Wolves at Our Door, and founders of the non-profit organization, Living with Wolves. The Dutcher's are recognized as two of America's most knowledgeable experts on wolves.
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