Wolves in Canada spotted using line to pull up crab traps in first possible tool use by the species

Wolves Caught on Camera Fishing for the First Time

On the central coast of British Columbia, the Indigenous Haíɫzaqv or Heiltsuk Nation has been battling an invader: the invasive European green crab. The highly aggressive creature gobbles up native clam and crabs and damages fish habitats. To control this crab, members of the Haíɫzaqv community set up traps containing herring and sea lion meat. But they noticed that something or someone was stealing these traps, bringing them ashore, and grabbin…

Video shows a wild wolf stealing fish in possible first use of a tool

Wild wolves have been spotted pulling crab traps from waters off Canada in what scientists say may be the first documented case of the animals using a tool.

Video catches wild wolf pulling in crab trap to get to food—but is it tool use?

Many animals have been observed using tools. For example, chimps tear leaves off of branches and stick them into holes to pull out termites, and wild dingoes have been observed moving objects to stand on to get to another area. However, despite being known as fairly intelligent animals, wolves have never been observed using tools.

Incredible Footage May Be First Evidence Wild Wolves Have Figured Out How To Use Tools

And they've made a howl-to video.

Researchers observe wild wolves using tools on B.C. coast

A female wolf learned to pull fully submerged crab traps out of the water and eat the bait inside in what could be the first known potential tool use in wild wolves.

B.C. wolves use line to pull up crab traps in first possible tool use by species

Within a day of the cameras being set up in the Heiltsuk First Nation 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.