When you think about pollinators, you probably think of bees, butterflies, other insects, and some small birds. You almost certainly don't think about wolves. However, according to new research, the Ethiopian wolf has been acting as a pollinator in its native habitat, Scientific American reported.
In a study conducted by the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Program, the wolves were observed drinking nectar from one specific flower species: the Ethiopian red hot poker. Both the wolves and the red hot poker flowers exist only at high elevations.
Though ecologists in the program had seen this behavior before, they were surprised to find out how widespread it was among Ethiopian wolf populations. "They spend a lot of time actually foraging on the flowers," said Sandra Lai, an ecologist at the University of Oxford and the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Program. "They can stay, like, an hour and a half going from flower to flower. We've seen one individual going consecutively to 30 flowers."
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The group published its findings in the journal Ecology.
It is not yet clear whether the wolves are getting important nutrients from the red hot poker or if they just enjoy the taste. It's also not clear if the wolves actually transport pollen, despite their moving from one flower to the next. However, the findings underscore the importance of protecting both native species, which may have evolved to rely on one another — a great example of how ecosystems are balanced and interconnected and how removing even one species can have ripple effects.
Protecting all species is an important part of caring for our environment, but losing pollinators in particular is devastating to all life on Earth, as many food sources for all types of species rely on them. Right now, established pollinators such as bees and butterflies are declining because of habitat loss and human-caused pollution.
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It is crucial that we support our local pollinators, be they bees, butterflies, bats, or even wolves.
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