Overview
- Remote cameras captured a female coastal wolf swimming to a buoy, pulling in the line, dragging a fully submerged crab trap to shore, and accessing the bait.
- The observations, analyzed by researchers led by Kyle Artelle with co-author Paul Paquet, were published in the journal Ecology and Evolution.
- The traps are part of Haíɫzaqv Guardians’ efforts to monitor and remove European green crabs, with deeper sets marked by surface floats.
- Scientists initially suspected marine predators because the damaged traps never surfaced at low tide, but video evidence identified a wolf as the culprit.
- Experts differ on whether the behavior qualifies as tool use, though researchers say it reveals sophisticated problem-solving and could influence future trap design.