Researchers in western Canada have documented a wild wolf performing a remarkable series of steps to retrieve food, revealing what may be the first recorded example of potential tool use in wolves. The behaviour was captured on camera in a remote region of British Columbia.
For years, crab traps placed in deep water had been mysteriously dragged ashore with bait missing, leading researchers to believe a marine predator was responsible. However, newly installed cameras in May 2024 revealed a surprising culprit: a female wolf demonstrating unusually sophisticated problem-solving skills.
Read more : Wild wolves in crosshairs of German politics
In the footage, the wolf swims out to a buoy attached to a crab trap, drags it to shore, and then pulls the connected line until the trap emerges from the water. Once on land, she chews through the netting to reach the bait, completing a deliberate and coordinated sequence of actions.
Experts described the behaviour as astonishing, noting that the wolf appeared to understand the trap’s structure and how to access the food inside. They emphasized that this was not a typical predatory attack but a carefully thought-out process requiring patience and intelligence.
Read more : Mexican gray wolf which almost died out in the 1970s grew by 24 …
Furthermore, researchers suggested the wolf may have developed these skills through trial and error, especially since wolves in the remote area face fewer threats and can spend more time exploring their environment. They added that such behaviour could reveal deeper insights into the cognitive abilities of wild wolves.
The discovery has sparked widespread scientific interest, as it raises new questions about problem-solving and tool-like behaviour in species previously not known for such abilities. Researchers say more study is needed to determine how common this level of sophistication is among other wolves in the region.