Watch a Yellowstone Wolf Steal Emmy-Nominated Cinematographer’s Camera

Watch a Yellowstone Wolf Steal Emmy-Nominated Cinematographer’s Camera originally appeared on PetHelpful.

Although pet dogs and wild wolves share nearly identical DNA, centuries of domestication and selective breeding have resulted in significant physical and behavioral differences. True, some dogs love to howl just like their wild relatives, but you’ll never catch a wolf curling up contentedly while watching a deer graze merely feet away.

After years of studying, observing, and capturing award-winning footage of wild animals, wildlife cinematographer Jake Davis knows just how elusive wild wolves can be. Nevertheless, a chance encounter one morning in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem led him to some of the most special and rare footage of gray wolves that has ever been recorded.

He spent six weeks filming by the body of a hunted bull elk, which provided food to animals like foxes, birds, and, of course, wolves. However, the most memorable part of the expedition happened one night when a curious wolf ran away with one of Jake’s cameras!

The shenanigans are caught on film around 16 minutes into the video, though every minute is filmed with breathtaking, close-up footage of Yellowstone National Park’s wild animals.

OMG, what a close call! As cool as it is to see a gray wolf being curious and having fun, their playful behavior could have cost Jake thousands of dollars and the loss of irreplaceable footage. Fortunately, nothing was lost!

“It would have cost me about $5,000 to replace that particular camera,” Jake shared with PetHelpful. Although the camera wasn’t recording when the curious wolf picked it up, hours of priceless footage would have been lost forever if Jake hadn’t found the camera the next morning.

Related: Researchers Discovered a New Pack of Gray Wolves in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains

Without this camera, we may not have seen the golden eagle or red fox, which also found nourishment in the elk’s body. Their appearances happen around 6 minutes into the video, but they’re just two of the numerous animals who benefited thanks to the wolf’s hunt.

“[This project] shows just how much wolves contribute to the ecosystem and help provide food for other animals,” Jake shared with us. “For one, the wolves killed the elk, something the other animals wouldn’t have been able to do. Secondly, they couldn’t start feeding until the wolves ripped the elk open. In those two ways, they provide a lot of resources to the wildlife community.”

Jake’s wildlife cinematography project is the perfect reminder that wolves are so much more than our dogs’ relatives and ancestors. They play a vital role in ecosystems like Yellowstone, and they deserve our utmost adoration and respect.

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Watch a Yellowstone Wolf Steal Emmy-Nominated Cinematographer’s Camera first appeared on PetHelpful on Jun 17, 2025

This story was originally reported by PetHelpful on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.