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Minnesota Researchers Record 'First Ever' Video Footage Of Wolves Hunting Freshwater Fish

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Researchers in northern Minnesota say they've recorded the "first ever" video footage of wolves eating freshwater fish.

The Voyageurs Wolf Project posted the video to Facebook on Thursday. In less than 24 hours, it amassed more than 130,000 views.

The nighttime footage from spring 2018 shows a wolf catch several fish in a stream in Voyageurs National Park and bring them to dry land to eat.

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The Voyageurs Wolf Project is made up of researchers form Voyageurs National Park and the University of Minnesota.

They say that while wolves in coastal areas are known to hunt spawning salmon, this is the first time wolves have been documented hunting freshwater fish in boreal forests, like those of northern Minnesota.

In a published paper, the researchers say that this observation gives insight into the flexibility of wolves' hunting and foraging behavior.

As to what wolves are hunting in Voyageurs' streams, it's northern pike and white suckers.

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