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Wolves prefer fishing to hunting | Wolves prefer fishing to hunting |
(2 days later) | |
Wolves in western Canada prefer to fish for salmon when it is in season rather than hunt deer or other wild game, researchers have found. | Wolves in western Canada prefer to fish for salmon when it is in season rather than hunt deer or other wild game, researchers have found. |
Scientists studied the eating habits of wolf packs in British Columbia. | Scientists studied the eating habits of wolf packs in British Columbia. |
Deer is the staple food of the wolves in the spring and summer but they often injure themselves hunting them. | Deer is the staple food of the wolves in the spring and summer but they often injure themselves hunting them. |
When Pacific salmon return to the region's rivers to spawn in the autumn, the wolves prefer the taste of the more nutritious and easier-to-catch fish. | |
The researchers studied the droppings and hair of eight wolf groups over four years to discover what they ate. | The researchers studied the droppings and hair of eight wolf groups over four years to discover what they ate. |
They had expected the wolves to switch to salmon only if deer were in short supply but this was not the case. | They had expected the wolves to switch to salmon only if deer were in short supply but this was not the case. |
"Selecting benign prey such as salmon makes sense from a safety point of view," wrote Dr Chris Darimont, from the University of Victoria, BC, and his colleagues in the journal BMC Ecology. | "Selecting benign prey such as salmon makes sense from a safety point of view," wrote Dr Chris Darimont, from the University of Victoria, BC, and his colleagues in the journal BMC Ecology. |
"While hunting deer, wolves commonly incur serious and often fatal injuries," the researchers said, adding that salmon fishing is much less time consuming than tracking deer in the forest. | "While hunting deer, wolves commonly incur serious and often fatal injuries," the researchers said, adding that salmon fishing is much less time consuming than tracking deer in the forest. |
"In addition to safety benefits, we determined that salmon also provides enhanced nutrition over deer, especially in fat and energy." | "In addition to safety benefits, we determined that salmon also provides enhanced nutrition over deer, especially in fat and energy." |
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