These B.C. wolves figured out how to pull up crab traps to get food

[Spazito]

Researchers have captured video footage of wild wolves in British Columbia pulling crab traps out of the sea by their lines to eat the bait inside, in the first evidence of possible tool use by the animals.

A report released Monday in the scientific journal Ecology and Evolution by researchers Kyle Artelle and Paul Paquet says they placed cameras on the beach aimed at Heiltsuk First Nation crab traps to work out what was repeatedly damaging them.

The traps, set up near Bella Bella on B.C.'s central coast, were being used to control the invasive European green crab, and some were in deeper water submerged at all times, leading researchers to believe the damage that started in 2023 was caused by marine mammals.

snip

Within a day of the cameras being set up in May last year, researchers captured footage of a sea wolf emerging from the water with a buoy hanging from its mouth.

The footage then showed the wolf dropping the buoy on the beach, picking up the exposed line, and pulling it until the crab trap emerged from the water.

more

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-wolves-crab-traps-tool-use-9.6982536

Fascinating read, imo.

[Clouds Passing]

1. That was cool.

[Borogove]

2. We continually underestimate the intelligence of animals.

[jmbar2]

3. Amazing!

[catbyte]

4. My tribe, along with many others, don't call wolves our brothers for nothing, lol.

[Linda ladeewolf]

5. Every creature is capable of learning, evolving.

[mjvpi]

6. Canine sense of smell is unreal .

[IronLionZion]

7. Clever wolves

The wolves in coastal British Columbia have long adapted to sea life to survive. There's a good documentary I watched years ago about Sea Wolves. So these wolves have figured out there's food in those traps, there's a line connected to it, pulling on it brings it closer, then yum.

[markodochartaigh]

9. Is this the documentary?

?si=PV_1iDD0idNdEjfD

[IronLionZion]

14. I think this one on Netflix

https://www.netflix.com/title/81341781

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22180926/

Yours looks good too.

[ToxMarz]

8. We had a coyote in our neighborhood that was pulling our downspout drain tubes off the house

and dragging them around the neighbors yards to ferret out any little critters that might be hiding in there.

I was able to catch him in the act one day

[JoetheShow]

10. I beg to differ with the line "...in the first evidence of possible tool use by the animals."

Jane Goodall documented chimpanzees using tools back in the 1960s. The chimpanzee would strip leaves from a twig and stick it into a termite nest. The termites would crawl onto the twig which the chimp would pull out, and eat the termites. Personally I think this is more consequential since the "tool" had to be made.

On an aside, I have watched my dogs many times grab cat bowls (sometimes, but not always, after the cat is done) with their mouth and carry them off to clean thoroughly. I think if they had hands with opposable thumbs, they would be VERY dangerous for getting into stuff.

[perfessor]

11. I read of crows doing the same with ice-fishing lines.

They would go to an in-tended hole, pull up the line, and eat the minnow.

Then, they would carry the hook back to the hole and drop it in!

[twodogsbarking]

12. They may have watched the humans place the traps.

Great post.

[Spazito]

13. Thank you!

I was fascinated and hoped others would be as well.

[2naSalit]

15. Far out!

I know Dr. Pacquet, glad he was involved! I'll bet he's really stoked about this find!

[Beringia]

16. Nice going Wolf

[central scrutinizer]

17. Was hoping for a bunch of crabs

But after all that work, ate the bait as a consolation

[Blumancru]

18. Wild canids have been seen to drop anvils

on prey. They also paint fake tunnels. I have seen this documentary.

[Spazito]

19. LOL