Sea wolves in British Columbia use ropes to pull crab traps from water, showing possible tool use.

Researchers in British Columbia have captured video of sea wolves using a line to pull crab traps from the water, marking the first possible evidence of tool use in wolves. The footage, recorded near Bella Bella, shows wolves dragging buoys ashore and hauling traps up to access bait, with two wolves observed performing the behavior. Initially thought to be damaged by marine mammals, the traps were traced to wolves, a grey wolf subspecies adapted to a marine diet. Scientists believe the behavior may have developed gradually through trial and error, potentially spreading socially. Ongoing 24/7 monitoring aims to study the wolves’ actions and their impact on efforts to control invasive green crabs.