An Oregon wildlife biologist has captured very close daytime footage showing a wolf pup howling for a response from pack members. The wolf is surprised when its call is answered by other wolves (at about the 50-second mark), which remain hidden in the forest shadows. Roblyn Brown, assistant wolf coordinator for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, said it’s rare to get this close to a wild wolf pup, but much rarer to capture footage of this quality and length.

The pup belongs to the Snake River pack in Oregon, and the footage was captured in the Summit Ridge area in Wallowa County. An answer comes after the pup’s third howl and soon several wolves are participating in this surreal form of communication.

According to the ODFW, wolves are highly sociable and howl as a means of keeping track of the whereabouts of pack members. Wolf howls can be heard for several miles.