Supplementary material from "The ethology of wolves foraging on freshwater fish in a boreal ecosystem" ...

• Main Authors: Freund, Danielle R., Gable, Thomas D., Johnson-Bice, Sean M., Homkes, Austin T., Windels, Steve K., Bump, Joseph K.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: The Royal Society 2023
• Subjects: Ecology; FOS Biological sciences; 60801 Animal Behaviour; Canis lupus
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6660391.v1; https://rs.figshare.com/collections/Supplementary_material_from_The_ethology_of_wolves_foraging_on_freshwater_fish_in_a_boreal_ecosystem_/6660391/1

Through GPS-collar locations, remote cameras, field observations and the first wild wolf to be GPS-collared with a camera-collar, we describe when, where and how wolves fish in a freshwater ecosystem. From 2017 to 2021, we recorded more than ten wolves ( Canis lupus ) hunting fish during the spring spawning season in northern Minnesota, USA. Wolves ambushed fish in creeks at night when spawning fish were abundant, available and vulnerable in shallow waters. We observed wolves specifically targeting sections of rivers below beaver ( Castor canadensis ) dams, suggesting that beavers may indirectly facilitate wolf fishing behaviour. Wolves also cached fish on shorelines. We documented these findings across five different social groups at four distinct waterways, suggesting that wolf fishing behaviour may be widespread in similar ecosystems but has likely remained difficult to study given its annual brevity. Spawning fish may serve as a valuable pulsed resource for packs because the spring spawning season ...