Tool‑Using Wolf, Radio‑Tagged Monarchs, and Other Science News
Animals continue to surprise us with their ingenuity and adaptability — and recent research highlights just how much we still have to learn.
A Wolf That Uses a Tool
In a remarkable discovery, a trail camera captured a wolf in British Columbia using a tool for the first time. Researchers from the Heiltsuk First Nation and wildlife biologists set up crab traps baited with cups of meat. Over time, they observed wolves returning: one individual tugged at the trap’s rope, stripped it down, carried away part of it, removed the bait cup, and licked out the contents. This behavior, documented in Ecology and Evolution, is being hailed as the first well‑recorded example of a wolf using a tool.
The footage challenges our assumptions about wolf intelligence and cultural behavior in the wild. While it’s not yet clear whether this is a one-off innovation or part of broader wolf cultural practices, the finding opens new lines of inquiry about animal problem-solving.
Tracking Monarch Butterflies, One by One
Scientists have taken a leap forward in understanding monarch butterfly migration. For the first time, more than 400 individual monarchs have been fitted with tiny, solar-powered radio transmitters.
These tags weigh only about 60 milligrams — comparable to a few grains of rice — but enable real-time monitoring of each butterfly’s journey.
Thanks to a mobile app developed by the tag manufacturer, Project Monarch Science, anyone can follow their routes.
Researchers have already recorded some long-distance flights — including from Ontario all the way to central Mexico.
This opens up new possibilities for understanding how monarchs navigate, where they stop to rest, and how environmental factors affect their survival.
Other Noteworthy Science Developments
- Gelada Baboons and Deception: New studies show that female geladas in Ethiopia may fake signs of fertility when a new male joins the group — a strategy to protect their young from infanticide.
- Ecosystem Resilience and Big Herbivores: Research continues to affirm that large herbivores boost plant diversity and functional redundancy. Their grazing habits help maintain ecosystem balance in surprising ways.
- Rare Whale Species Spotted: Scientists in Mexico recently documented beaked whales thought to be previously unseen in the wild — a powerful reminder of how much of the ocean remains unexplored
