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There are thousands of wolves living in North America, but there is still a lot to be learned about these majestic creatures. The University of Minnesota founded a research project called the Voyageurs Wolf Project with the primary aim of studying what wolves do in the summer—a period which they say is poorly understood. To do this, numerous wildlife cameras were installed in the known wolf pack territories, which the researchers used to gather valuable insight into the canines. However, there are many other animals inhabiting the same ecosystem, so the team put together some of the best sightings of animals between 2021 and 2023 in one montage video.
The footage features short clips from an array of critters, both large and small. Many wolves are seen trotting across the path in a variety of seasons, but there are also skunks, badgers, foxes, and many others. “What makes this video particularly neat,” the Voyageurs Wolf Project explains is that we got footage of virtually every large carnivore in northern Minnesota aside from the ‘black cougar' that some locals claimed to have seen and the famed but elusive ’squatch'… The video is also a great comparison between the size difference of wolves and coyotes at different points in the year. Basically, while the wolves we study are generally on the smaller size (55-67 pounds), they are still much larger than coyotes.”
What's fascinating about this compilation is the variety of wildlife living so close together. Large carnivores like black bears, lynxes, and coyotes all cross in front of the same trail camera at some point, just like the deer and smaller creatures. While most of the animals pass by without too much action, some of the clips are lucky enough to catch a glimpse of wolves rolling in the snow. Additionally, due to the GPS collars some of the wolves are wearing, the researchers are able to identify from which of the 16 local packs they come from. “The wolves in the video are primarily members of the Blood Moon Pack as this camera was squarely in that pack’s territory,” they explain. “Though in one winter sequence toward the end of the video, you see the Windsong Pack—seven wolves—blatantly trespassing!”
Scroll down to watch the video by Voyageurs Wolf Project and be sure to follow their Instagram for more amazing animal content.
Voyageurs Wolf Project is an ongoing research endeavor by the University of Minnesota.
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Their primary aim is to study what wolves do in the summer.
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To do that, they've set up trail cameras to observe wolf movements.
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However, they end up catching a glimpse of other animals as well, including lynxes, bears, foxes, and more.
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They compiled some of the best footage of carnivores captured on a trail camera from 2021 and 2023 into one amazing video:
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Voyageurs Wolf Project: Website | Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Voyageurs Wolf Project.
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