A coastal wolf in British Columbia approaches a crab trap line moments before pulling the trap to shore

A coastal wolf in British Columbia approaches a crab trap line moments before pulling the trap to shore. Credit: Haíɫzaqv Wolf and Biodiversity Project

A wild wolf on the central coast of British Columbia may have carried out the first known case of tool use in a canid. New video shows the animal swimming into deep water, retrieving a buoy, and hauling up a hidden trap. Researchers say the footage shows a wolf manipulating crab traps in a way they had never documented before

Buoy retrieved from deep water

The footage opens with the wolf swimming toward a floating buoy. The buoy is attached to a crab trap on the seafloor. The wolf cannot see the trap. Yet it heads straight for the buoy, suggesting it understands the link between the two objects.

Once back on shore, the wolf pulls the rope that runs from the buoy to the submerged trap. Researchers say the animal reels in the line with steady, repeated motions. A moment later, the trap breaks the surface. The wolf drags it onto land, tears it open, and eats the bait inside.

Scientists describe the full sequence as unusually complex for a wild canid. If confirmed, it could be the first recorded case of tool use in a wolf.

A behavior scientists had never seen before

The study, published Nov. 17 in Ecology and Evolution, reports behavior far more advanced than any wolf interaction with human objects previously documented. Wolves (Canis lupus) are known for intelligence, but the new footage shows a level of planning that surprised researchers.

“This is a new dimension of wolf behaviour we had not seen before,” lead author Kyle Artelle, an assistant professor at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, said in an email to Live Science. He added that the video highlights how little is known about the mental abilities of other species.

Haíɫzaqv Guardians uncover the culprit

The wolf lives inside the Indigenous Haíɫzaqv Nation Territory. Many wolves on this coast rely heavily on marine food sources. The Haíɫzaqv Wolf and Biodiversity Project, which Artelle helps coordinate, documented the incident after multiple crab traps were found broken open.

Haíɫzaqv Guardians — Indigenous researchers who monitor the territory — first suspected seals, sea lions, or otters. Many traps sit in deep water and do not surface even at low tide. But a camera trap placed in May 2024 identified the culprit within a day. The wolf appeared on video hauling up the line.

How unusual is tool use in canids?

Dogs and dingos have shown behaviors that resemble tool use, such as moving chairs or furniture to reach food. But these cases occur in captivity. The study found no confirmed example of tool use by a wild canid, making the footage potentially groundbreaking.

Scientists also debate what qualifies as tool use. Rope pulling is sometimes excluded because the animal may not control the rope’s position. The wolf’s actions, however, may be complex enough to challenge that rule. Still, the authors note that trial and error cannot be ruled out.

More evidence needed

Camera traps now remain active in Haíɫzaqv crab-harvesting areas. None has captured a second incident. But earlier clips show a wolf tugging a crab line before bait cups mysteriously appeared on shore.

Researchers say the footage offers a rare look at wolf intelligence and shows how much remains unknown about these coastal predators.