A wolf's crab heist video has sparked a debate among dog lovers about how intelligent their pets are.
We've all been there. We’re talking excitedly about the super clever thing our pet did, and someone sceptical tells us we’re imagining it.
That debate was fuelled by this month’s scientific community report that a wild wolf was filmed showing canny intelligence.
The story started in spring this year, when Guardians of the Haíɫzaqv Nation Indigenous community in British Columbia, Canada found their crab traps had been raided. They checked their cameras and found the thief was a wild female grey wolf.
The Haíɫzaqv people fish for crabs by submerging bait in a net. To make sure they don’t lose track of it, they attach the net to a rope and a float.The video shows the wolf trotting around the lake, spotting the float and wading out. She grabs the float, pulls it ashore, and then hauls on the rope.
When the net hits the surface, she pulls harder, dragging it onto land. She then whips out the plastic container with the crab bait and eats it. She’s smiling and she takes her time enjoying her stolen meal too.
Xena (right) looks innocent but she tricks Kratos regularly. — Photos: JACQUELINE BENITA PAUL
When the report by Dr Kyle Artelle and Dr Paul Paquet hit the journals last month, it sparked conversations about tool use in the animal kingdom.
In classic examples, we see apes fishing for termites with a stick. While purists note the wolf does not actually use a tool to get her food, there is undeniable intelligence at work.
In South Asia, Prof Yadvendradev Vikramsinh Jhala, a fellow of the Indian National Science Academy and the National Academy of Sciences, India, has studied wild wolves and animals for over 38 years.
“That wolf knows exactly what to do to get to the reward with a sequence that is not obvious or the reward visible,” he points out.
“To the best of my knowledge, this is the first documented case of such a sequential, unrelated repertoire of a complex set of behaviours to get to a reward.”
Prof Jhala has studied wolves for over 38 years. — YADVENDRADEV VIKRAMSINH JHALA
In his studies of wolves, Prof Jhala has seen other examples of intelligence. “I have witnessed wolves killing tethered livestock near human habitation and without tugging on the tethered rope that’s around the killed animal’s neck or foot. The wolves immediately picked up the rope with their teeth and cut it. This shows they know the rope would prevent them from carrying off the body.”
“Canids, as we all know, are extremely intelligent,” he points out. “They learn quickly and need to negotiate much more complex hurdles to survive and reproduce.”
Better understanding
As dogs descended from wolves, researchers use dog and wolf intelligence studies to help them understand how both species have evolved.
Jacqueline Benita Paul, dog trainer and owner of Barked Club, Petaling Jaya, has trained over 200 dogs in the last three years.
“Dogs are smart and yes, some use tools,” she says, “Susu, a standard poodle I worked with wanted to steal food from a table that was too high for her to jump on. So she pushed a chair closer to the table, jumped on it and hey: food!”
She also lives with super smart five-year-old Xena and her friend, two-year-old Kratos. Both are rescues, standard Malaysian mutts and beautifully trained.
“We have lots of toys. But when I say to Kratos, ‘bring piggy’ or ‘bring ball’ he knows exactly which toy to bring. And when I just say ‘bring’ that’s when he gets his Kong toy that has a treat cavity.”
Jacqueline with her rescues, Xena and Kratos.
But it’s naughty Xena who has the cunning plans.
“Earlier this year, Xena was outside. She’s normally quiet, she hardly ever barks, but something happened and she woofed. Kratos went right out, asking what happened," Jacqueline says.
“Very soon after, when I was playing with Kratos, she went outside and woofed. Kratos rushed out and she came back in, very pleased with herself that she’d gotten him away from me, so she could have all my attention.”
“She knew full well what she had done,” says Jacqueline who is clearly torn between laughter and disapproval. “And now she does it all the time. Any time Xena feels jealous, she repeats her trick.”
As Kratos falls for it every time, there are clearly types of doggy intelligence. Kratos has the kind that identifies toys but it’s Xena who is the mistress of manipulation.
“There’s another thing,” Jacqueline says. “When Xena wants to know something but doesn’t want to check it out herself, she tricks Kratos into doing it for her.”
Xena’s plan is deceptively simple. She pretends to be interested but makes a pantomime of not following through.
“She went to the garden recently, sniffed around near some object on the ground, then drew back like a diva. Kratos was interested and immediately went to check it out. It was a dead squirrel.”
As Kratos immediately rolled in it and Xena did too, Jacqueline is less than impressed by that tale.
However, she loves her pets and part of her training is that dogs must be allowed to be dogs.
But she has put a stop to one naughty ploy by Xena.
“When Kratos has a high value treat, Xena goes outside, fakes him into running to the garden and then sneaks back inside to steal it,” Jacqueline shares.
“Back when she first realised how that trick worked, she managed to steal from him. But ever since, I’m on the watch for it.”
“It doesn’t work anymore, and I tell her I’m onto her but she’s totally shameless. She keeps trying, hoping to score again.”
Sceptics may disagree but the evidence is clear. Whether it’s a wolf’s daring crab caper or a dog’s clever
mind tricks, both species have mastered the art of cunning tricks, especially when it nets them a delicious reward.
