Researchers have found wolves engaging in rudimentary tool use, according to PetaPixel.
Trail camera footage has captured wolves pulling crab traps out of the water to eat the bait inside. Members of the Heiltsuk First Nation have been attempting to capture invasive European green crabs near Bella Bella, British Columbia. Their traps were being routinely found ripped open, so researchers set up cameras.
There's some debate as to whether this counts as actual tool use since the wolves didn't put out the traps themselves. But it is still a remarkable sign of wildlife intelligence.
"Even if we don't want to call it tool use, the fact that the trap was completely underwater and out of sight makes it hard to argue that she didn't understand the connection between all these steps," said report author Kyle Artelle, per The New York Times. "This wasn't just random tinkering."
While interesting, this situation shows how humans introducing food incentives to areas can warp natural feeding habits. The erosion of habitat can diminish feeding opportunities for wildlife, forcing it to scour farther afield to survive. This can lead to animals roaming areas populated by people.
Wolves are vital parts of Canada's ecosystems. As apex predators, they help keep prey species populations in check, which ensures that plant species aren't overgrazed. Wolf populations have been in decline in some areas of the Pacific Northwest despite management efforts.
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That said, wolf interference with attempts to remove European green crabs may further harm local ecosystems. When invasive species take over, they monopolize vital resources like food, water, and space, causing a local decline in biodiversity.
European green crabs pose a threat to salmon, clams, and other crab species that fishery industries rely upon. Some jurisdictions have had to make concerted removal efforts. These include initiatives to eat more of the invasive species.
Trail cameras have proven vital in detecting emerging behaviors from elusive and remote wildlife like wolves in this situation. Armed with new information, conservation efforts can be appropriately adjusted. That said, researchers remain stumped as to why or how the wolves figured out how to exploit crab traps for food.
"We ultimately don't know, but [one of the] most likely explanations in our minds … would be that the wolves started doing this with traps that were exposed at a low tide because that's really easy," Artelle said to the CBC.
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