A research project in northern Minnesota is sharing two years’ worth of video highlights captured on a trail.
The Voyageurs Wolf Project from the University of Minnesota focuses on wolf research, but their cameras caught a lot more than that. In the video, researchers say they captured almost every single carnivore you can find in the area. That includes wolves, bears, bobcats, lynx, a badger, a red fox, martens, fishers and a skunk.
The organization says the otter is the only animal they didn’t capture on camera, besides jokingly adding “‘the black cougar’ that some locals claimed to have seen and the famed but elusive ‘squatch.”
Recent years have seen an increase in wolves around the U.S. as more states and National Parks reintroduce the animals. Unfortunately, there is also a backlash from ranchers and others worried about the impact of wolves. The increase in wolves has also created confusion among hikers and others about whether they’re seeing a wolf or coyote.
The Voyageurs Wolf Project says this video does an excellent job of showing a size comparison between wolves and coyotes. While wolves can weigh between 50 and 120 pounds, a coyote is more like to weigh between 15 and 46 pounds.
Researchers say the footage comes from a territory that is home to a wolf pack dubbed “Blood Moon.” However, the video captures a nearby pack of seven wolves that “blatantly trespass” into the area.
Here’s what you should do if you ever come face-to-face with a wolf pack.
