Overview
- The footage records a female wolf biting a buoy, hauling in the line, dragging a fully submerged trap ashore, and chewing through netting to reach bait.
- The study, published in Ecology and Evolution by Kyle Artelle and Paul Paquet, presents the sequence as possible first evidence of tool use in wild wolves.
- The finding arose after Haíɫzaqv guardians investigating damaged traps set cameras that solved a months-long mystery over missing bait from deep-water sets.
- Researchers say the behavior appears learned and could spread within packs, while outside experts note debate over whether it meets strict definitions of tool use.
- The collaboration under the Place of Wolves project highlights how non-hunted coastal wolves in Bella Bella may experiment more, prompting trap-design and monitoring adjustments.