First-Ever Wild Wolf Collar Camera Shows What They Really Do All Day Long
Researchers in Minnesota managed to attach a collar camera on a wild wolf, leading to what’s believed to be the first footage of its kind.
The camera, which was placed on the wolf while it was sedated by Voyageurs Wolf Project, captured 30 seconds of video at the start of every hour during daylight, giving scientists a brief window into the life of a wolf.
“What is particularly fascinating is that this wolf (V089, a lone wolf) knew how to hunt and catch fish,” the organization wrote. “He can be seen eating three different fish, which were all killed and consumed at the same spot along the Ash River.”
The project is an effort by the University of Minnesota to study the wolves in and around Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota.
The organization’s outdoor cameras have also captured other unexpected sights. In January, it released summer trail-cam footage showing wolves eating blueberries:
To our knowledge, this is the first-ever and only footage of wolves eating blueberries! Though, we know of a few clips of wolves eating other kinds of berries or fruits. We tried for 2 years to get this footage of wolves eating berries and finally got it in summer 2020! (1/6) pic.twitter.com/VLaw6mFqjK
— Voyageurs Wolf Project (@VoyaWolfProject) January 5, 2021
“This doesn’t mean that wolves prefer berries over their typical prey,” the organization said at the time. “But rather that in July-August, wolves’ typical prey (deer fawns and beavers) are harder to catch and so wolves turn to a food source that is abundant and requires little energy expenditure.”
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.