A-hunting we will go!

Zoe Panchen
I just returned from my field work at Lake Hazen, there is no internet in the wilds of 81°N so this and
the next few post will be an update on my time from 13^th June – 2^nd Aug at Lake Hazen.

Although my passion is plants, I have to say the high light of my time at Lake Hazen was seeing a pack of Arctic Wolves heading out on a hunt go by just 100yrds away. We had barely set out of camp when I saw a white movement just over the rise ahead. I thought it might be the Arctic Hare that often visited camp but just a few seconds later an Arctic wolf appeared. It was too far away to take a good picture and I needed to change to my zoom lens so I just watched as it continued on its way across the tundra. Then another wolf appeared and then another and then there was another just by us. I don’t know who was more surprised the wolves or us. I just had time to get out my camera, change lenses and take a few pictures as the last wolf went by.

Last of the pack of eight Arctic Wolves passing Camp Hazen

While there was truly a wow factor to seeing these animals up close in the wild, what really blew me away was the ease and speed with which they moved across the tundra. In less than ten minutes they had covered the distance from Camp Hazen to the Snow Goose River delta, a distance that would take me about 1/2hr. Just amazing to see a line of 8 white wolves moving effortlessly across the tundra below Omingmak Mountain.

Three of the pack of eight Arctic Wolves moving
effortlessly across the tundra by Lake Hazen