Overview
- Footage published November 17 in Ecology and Evolution shows a wolf bringing a buoy ashore, grabbing the line, and repeatedly tugging until a crab trap surfaced before it ate the bait.
- The incidents occurred near Bella Bella on British Columbia’s central coast, where traps were set for European green crab control and had been found damaged since 2023.
- A second wolf was later recorded using the same technique, leading researchers to consider that the behavior may be spreading within the local pack through social learning.
- Scientists disagree on whether the rope‑pulling meets definitions of tool use, with some calling it consistent with the concept and others classifying it as object use rather than true tool use.
- The work was initiated through collaboration with Haíɫzaqv Nation Guardians, and teams are now monitoring continuously and testing ways to limit trap damage to protect the invasive‑crab study.