Status: 29/08/2023, 14:51 p.m.
By: Sophie Kluß
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In Yellowstone National Park, wildlife cameras have captured wolves carrying toys into the burrow for their cubs. You can find out what's behind this unusual behavior here.
In the video, titled "Mollie's Pack Carries Toys to the Burrow," posted on the Yellowstone National Park (@YellowstoneNPS) Facebook channel, several wolves can be seen returning to their burrow with various items such as bones or branches. There, their young are already waiting for them. The wolves are members of the pack, also known in the park as Mollie's Pack.
Although the behavior shown may be reminiscent of dogs that like to play with toys or retrieve sticks, as long as they are kept as pets, the objects brought into the wolf's den serve a different purpose – because wolves would not fetch like dogs, according to Newsweek. Underneath the video, Yellowstone National Park clarifies:
"The puppies wait for food deliveries from successful hunts, but when there is no food, the adults bring 'toys' with them. The instinct to return objects to the burrow may have been amplified by evolution and probably helps to save adults from being bullied by sharp puppy teeth."
Bones, antlers and branches – for playing and chewing
With the items they bring with them for their puppies, the adult wolves pursue a very specific purpose. (Symbolic image) © imagebroker/Imago
The wolf cubs would not miss an opportunity "to chew on sticks, twigs or anything they can find and play with," as the US news magazine explains. In addition, wolves act extremely socially and depend on their pack for survival. Thus, each pack is a complex social system and each individual animal would take on an individual role. For example, it is possible to coordinate the care of the puppies. You can see a wolf playing in a garden here.
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Comments: "It was so funny to watch them tug of war with it!"
Apparently surprised by the social and amiable behavior of the wolves, Facebook users express their enthusiasm in the comments section. You can find a selection here:
- "I LOVE this. Good parents, aunts and uncles!"
- "I've only seen them once far away in the distance. I liked this post. They behave like dogs. 🤣"
- "Nature's toothbrushes and calcium supplements."
- "Children are always asking for something new to play with, no matter what kind it is."
- "I could see this behavior in Yellowstone. A young black wolf brought antlers for the pack. It was so funny to watch them tug of war with it!"