Latest news with #wolves
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Watch a Yellowstone Wolf Steal Emmy-Nominated Cinematographer's Camera
Watch a Yellowstone Wolf Steal Emmy-Nominated Cinematographer's Camera originally appeared on PetHelpful. Although pet dogs and wild wolves share nearly identical DNA, centuries of domestication and selective breeding have resulted in significant physical and behavioral differences. True, some dogs love to howl just like their wild relatives, but you'll never catch a wolf curling up contentedly while watching a deer graze merely feet away. After years of studying, observing, and capturing award-winning footage of wild animals, wildlife cinematographer Jake Davis knows just how elusive wild wolves can be. Nevertheless, a chance encounter one morning in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem led him to some of the most special and rare footage of gray wolves that has ever been recorded. He spent six weeks filming by the body of a hunted bull elk, which provided food to animals like foxes, birds, and, of course, wolves. However, the most memorable part of the expedition happened one night when a curious wolf ran away with one of Jake's cameras! The shenanigans are caught on film around 16 minutes into the video, though every minute is filmed with breathtaking, close-up footage of Yellowstone National Park's wild animals. OMG, what a close call! As cool as it is to see a gray wolf being curious and having fun, their playful behavior could have cost Jake thousands of dollars and the loss of irreplaceable footage. Fortunately, nothing was lost! "It would have cost me about $5,000 to replace that particular camera," Jake shared with PetHelpful. Although the camera wasn't recording when the curious wolf picked it up, hours of priceless footage would have been lost forever if Jake hadn't found the camera the next this camera, we may not have seen the golden eagle or red fox, which also found nourishment in the elk's body. Their appearances happen around 6 minutes into the video, but they're just two of the numerous animals who benefited thanks to the wolf's hunt. "[This project] shows just how much wolves contribute to the ecosystem and help provide food for other animals," Jake shared with us. "For one, the wolves killed the elk, something the other animals wouldn't have been able to do. Secondly, they couldn't start feeding until the wolves ripped the elk open. In those two ways, they provide a lot of resources to the wildlife community." Jake's wildlife cinematography project is the perfect reminder that wolves are so much more than our dogs' relatives and ancestors. They play a vital role in ecosystems like Yellowstone, and they deserve our utmost adoration and respect. Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips. Watch a Yellowstone Wolf Steal Emmy-Nominated Cinematographer's Camera first appeared on PetHelpful on Jun 17, 2025 This story was originally reported by PetHelpful on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Trail cameras capture unusual footage of elusive pack of animals in one-of-a-kind encounter: 'To film them this intimately is extraordinarily rare'
A YouTuber received massive praise online after sharing extremely rare footage of a pack of wolves that he captured using trail cameras. "Not exaggerating, this may be the single best wildlife video I've ever seen," raved one commenter. "To be able to document this behavior of an animal as elusive as the wolf is just astounding." Professional wildlife cinematographer Jake Davis (@jakedavistv) captured the footage by leaving what he said was $100,000 worth of camera equipment in the vicinity of a bull elk carcass for a month. "When I came back to check the cameras, I was shocked," said Davis, per PetaPixel. "Wolves are incredibly intelligent and cautious. To film them this intimately is extraordinarily rare." The video highlighted the important role that trail cameras play in educating the public about the incredible interconnectedness of our natural world while allowing researchers to gather key data about wildlife populations. "This is some of the most special footage I've ever captured, and it beautifully illustrates the critical role wolves play in the ecosystem," said Davis, per PetaPixel. Researchers around the world use trail cameras as a nonintrusive way to study endangered species and track rehabilitation efforts. For example, the Galápagos Conservancy uses a network of trail cameras to unobtrusively observe the rare wildlife of that delicate environment. "The images collected help us understand species distribution and behavior, allowing us to develop informed measures for protecting and conserving these unique ecosystems," the Galápagos Conservancy explained on its website. "The cameras provide valuable insights into both endemic species and invasive threats, greatly enhancing our understanding of Galápagos wildlife." Davis' stunning video captured much more than just wolves. After the bull elk was brought down by the wolf pack, the carcass was visited by a range of animals that included a fox and a golden eagle. "In a time when people are far removed from the rhythm and balance of the natural world, my hope is that my work serves to rekindle a connection to the wild," said Davis, per PetaPixel. Do you think America is in a housing crisis? Definitely Not sure No way Only in some cities Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Judging by the comments, Davis succeeded in his mission. "I've never seen any wolf video like that ever!" exclaimed one commenter. "That was amazing." "Not only that but it also shows the value of the wolf in the ecosystem," added another. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
14,000-year-old ice age 'puppies' were actually wolf sisters that dined on woolly rhino for last meal
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A pair of 14,000-year-old "puppies" found melting out of the permafrost in Siberia have undergone genetic testing, proving they were actually wolf cub sisters and not domesticated dogs as was previously assumed. "Whilst many will be disappointed that these animals are almost certainly wolves and not early domesticated dogs, they have helped us get closer to understanding the environment at the time, how these animals lived, and how remarkably similar wolves from more than 14,000 years ago are to modern day wolves," Anne Kathrine Runge, an archaeologist at the University of York in the U.K., said in a statement. Runge led an international team of researchers in analyzing the bones and DNA of the puppies. Their study, published Thursday (June 12) in the journal Quaternary Research, revealed that the mummified "puppies" were wolf littermates that died somewhere between 14,100 and 15,000 years ago. The remarkably preserved and mummified animal carcasses were found in 2011 and 2015 near the rural settlement of Tumat in far northern Siberia. Along with the two canines, scientists discovered woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) bones that appeared to have been cut and burned by humans. This archaeological evidence suggested that the canines could have been very early domesticated dogs that were seeking food from humans — such as a piece of woolly rhino meat that was discovered in the belly of one of the animals. Dogs and wolves are closely related, but they diverged genetically between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago. Humans then domesticated wild dogs around 15,000 years ago. But the title of the world's oldest domesticated dog has never been clearly claimed. One possibility is the Bonn-Oberkassel dog, found in Germany in a human burial dated to 14,200 years ago. Because they were older than this, the ice age Tumat canines were previously assumed to be among the oldest domesticated dogs in the world. But DNA testing in 2019 showed that they likely belonged to a now-extinct wolf population unrelated to today's dogs. Related: Frozen in time: 10 prehistoric animals found trapped in ice In the new study, Runge and colleagues built on the 2019 study by analyzing genetic data from the animals' gut contents and investigated chemical "fingerprints" in their bones, teeth and tissue to learn more about the famous cubs. The cubs — genetically determined to be sisters — were only a couple of months old when they died, but both were eating solid food, including meat from a woolly rhino (Coelodonta antiquitatis) and a small bird called a wagtail — but not from a mammoth, which may have indicated that ice age humans had fed them leftover scraps. Additionally, both were still being nursed by their mother, the researchers discovered. "It was incredible to find two sisters from this era so well preserved, but even more incredible that we can now tell so much of their story, down to the last meal they ate," Runge said in the statement. But there's no indication that the Tumat pups got this food directly from humans or even from scavenging humans' mammoth butchering sites, according to the researchers. The sisters "inhabited a diverse landscape that was also occupied by humans," they wrote, but "this study found no evidence that can conclusively link them to human activities." RELATED STORIES —Missing 'body' of ice age animal carving finally found — but nobody knows what the animal is —Mini ice age was final death blow to Roman Empire, unusual rocks in Iceland suggest —Ancient humans waited out last ice age in frigid Central Europe, surprising study finds How the cubs died remains a mystery, as well. Given the cubs' lack of injuries, they may have been resting in an underground den when it collapsed, trapping them inside, the researchers wrote in the study. "Today, litters are often larger than two, and it is possible that the Tumat Puppies had siblings that escaped their fate," study co-author Nathan Wales, an ancient-DNA specialist at the University of York, said in the statement. "There may also be more cubs hidden in the permafrost." Additional research on the Tumat cubs may yet produce more information about ancient wolves and their evolutionary line, Wales noted in the statement.
The Verge
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Killer Inn is Square Enix's new ‘murder mystery action' game
Square Enix just announced Killer Inn, a new 'murder mystery action' game, as part of Summer Game Fest on Friday. In a Killer Inn match, 24 players are divided into two teams of 'wolves' and 'lambs,' and it's the job of the lambs to discover and kill all the wolves or for the wolves to kill the lambs. (Just to be clear, you play as humans, but with the title of wolves or lambs.) When wolves kill a lamb, they'll leave clues like a piece of hair or clothing that the lambs can use to try and identify the wolves. Killer Inn is coming to PC, and it will be getting a closed beta 'soon.' You can apply for the beta on the game's Steam page.
South China Morning Post
03-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Wolves in Japan: could their reintroduction restore nature's balance?
A plan to reintroduce wolves to Japan more than a century after they were hunted to extinction is gaining traction as conservationists warn that the country's rural ecosystems are increasingly out of balance and costly to maintain due to booming wild animal populations. The Japan Wolf Association (JWA), established in 1993, argues that returning wolves to the wild could restore natural order in the countryside and help curb the billions of yen in agricultural damage caused each year by deer, wild boar and monkeys. The group is preparing small-scale reintroduction trials in remote regions and downplaying risks to human communities – but not everyone is convinced it's a wise move, given wolves' fearsome reputation. Kunihiko Otsuki, JWA president and heads of a timber company in central Japan's Nara prefecture, is convinced that reintroducing the apex predator is the right course of action. 'Wolves went extinct in Japan more than 100 years ago but now deer have become a huge problem for farming communities across the country,' he told This Week in Asia. 'They eat crops and the natural vegetation in the mountains, and we believe reintroducing wolves would help bring the natural balance back.' Japanese farmers also have to put up with troops of marauding monkeys that can quickly lay waste to particularly appealing crops, as well as boars that dig up root vegetables.
