Scientists Use Poop to Learn that Salmon is Just as Tasty to Wolves as Deer

Levi Novey — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 03:12:56 +0000

A new study in the journal BMC Ecology indicates that coastal wolves in British Columbia switch to eating salmon in the fall as a primary food source, rather than deer. Scientists arrived at this conclusion after analyzing wolf poop they collected over a four year span.

Among the thousands of stools that were collected by the researchers in the spring and summer months, 90-95% of them contained some indications that wolves were eating deer as prey. In the fall, however, this number dropped significantly. About 40-70% of the stools in this time of year indicated that wolves were dining on salmon.

So what’s the big deal?

Green Options » Isle Royale National Park

Scientists Use Poop to Learn that Salmon is Just as Tasty to Wolves as Deer