The Secret of the Ethiopian Wolf

Baptiste Deturche, a member of the Lagoped Family, is a committed wildlife filmmaker, the author of the film Le Pari and currently preparing ambitious new projects. His approach to wildlife cinema aims to raise public awareness of the fragile beauty of nature . For him, images are a powerful means of conveying messages, and his leitmotif is clear: "Make known to make loved, and make loved to protect."

His latest project, The Secret of the Ethiopian Wolf , immerses him in the unique behavior of the Ethiopian wolf, a rare and fascinating predator. Through this film, Baptiste and his team aim to raise public awareness of the need to preserve these species and their habitats, while highlighting a new aspect of animal behavior: the wolf as a forager, like bees. This film, scheduled for release in 2026, is already in the financing phase, with a call for public mobilization via crowdfunding.

In the collective imagination, the wolf evokes the forests of Europe, silent packs, and howls beneath the moon. Yet, far from these familiar landscapes, there is a little-known canid living at an altitude of over 3,000 meters, on the high plateaus of Ethiopia.

It's called the Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis), and it's unlike any other. This elegant predator, with its reddish fur and light gait, is one of the world's most endangered mammals. It's estimated that only about 500 individuals remain today, spread across small, isolated populations. It's endemic, meaning it's found nowhere else on Earth.

And above all, this wolf hides a unique behavior in the animal kingdom...

A few months ago, a scientific publication surprised the zoological community. The Ethiopian wolf was observed foraging on flowers , a behavior never before documented in a large predator.

Yes, foraging , like a bee or a hummingbird. An unexpected, almost poetic gesture that calls into question everything we thought we knew about the eating habits of these canids.

Why would a carnivore adopt such behavior? Is it a form of learning, a response to environmental stress, or a manifestation of adaptive intelligence? This gesture, still unexplained, questions our view of the wild .

The Ethiopian wolf is threatened by habitat loss, diseases transmitted by domestic dogs, and climate change.

Conservation of the species requires better knowledge of its behavior , but also raising awareness among the general public.

It is in this context that “The Secret of the Ethiopian Wolf” was born, a documentary film directed by Baptiste Deturche, naturalist director and member of the Lagoped Family, alongside his partner Adrien Lesaffre. The two plan to immerse themselves in the Ethiopian mountains to document this rare species and its unique behavior.

The film is both poetic and scientific, and aims to raise awareness of this unique species, while highlighting the deep links between humans and the wild.

This film is fully in line with the values ​​of Lagoped , a brand committed to a respectful relationship with nature. By supporting Baptiste, Lagoped supports the perspectives that reveal the living , even in its most discreet forms.

As Baptiste reminds us:

To make this project a reality, a crowdfunding campaign is currently online. The goal? To support independent cinema, make an invisible species visible, and be part of the adventure as a co-producer.

By participating, you:

• Support a quality documentary film

• Help raise awareness about biodiversity

• Receive exclusive rewards (poster, access to screenings, making-of, etc.)

This project is much more than a film. It's an invitation to change our perspective on what we think we know. To marvel again, to learn from the wild, to let ourselves be surprised.

By supporting The Secret of the Ethiopian Wolf , we become witnesses to a fragile and precious story. A story that deserves to be told.