Wolves have a reputation as carnivorous predators that feed on deer, elk and moose. But they also have some serious foraging skills and will happily munch on fruit.
The Voyageurs Wolf Project at the University of Minnesota tracks the activities of gray wolves in northern Minnesota in and around Voyageurs National Park. The project uses tracking devices and cameras to monitor wild dogs. On Monday, the project shared a rare video of wolves eating blueberries.
The wolves in the video are from the paradise pack, which consists of four adults and one famous puppy. The video shows three of the adults and the puppy plucking blueberries from low-growing bushes. Most of the wolves wear GPS tracking collars or ear tags.
The Voyageurs Wolf Project says the only other known footage of wolves eating blueberries is from several years ago and was also captured by the project’s cameras. This may also be the first shot of a mother and her pup foraging for blueberries together.
“This past summer was a bumper crop of blueberries, and every wolf we surveyed spent a lot of time foraging for blueberries,” the wolf project said. “Our research has shown that berries can make up up to 83% of the weekly diet of wolf packs during the berry season.”
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Wolves are more versatile and opportunistic eaters than many might suspect. A 2020 study (PDF) discusses a 2017 sighting of an adult wolf regurgitating wild blueberries for her cubs in Minnesota.
The Voyageurs Wolf Project answers questions about what wolves do in the summer. What do they eat? How many puppies do they have? Where are their lairs? This information can be used to guide conservation and management practices. Recent observations of blueberry chewing reinforce the importance of the fruit in the diet of Minnesota wolves. Delicious and nutritious.