Wolves' diet

paul m · #1 (**permalink**) 03-09-2008, 07:39 AM

Most people imagine that wolves will eat nothing but freshly caught red meat. In fact they are, like dogs, quite generalist in their diet. I read an interesting piece in the paper yesterday that suggests west Canadian wolves actually prefer fish to red meat: BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Wolves prefer fishing to hunting

H Dogg · #2 (**permalink**) 03-09-2008, 04:25 PM

I know that the european population, and presume the american ones are the same, are very opportunistic and also feed on alot of human litter, food waste etc. As well as taking a wide range of food from birds to elk. This doesnt supprise me with the fish especially as it is relatively easy to come by particularly in the breeding season.

tcvarlh · #3 (**permalink**) 06-01-2009, 11:25 PM

The ones I met quite liked my fish paste butties. Too much, I got no lunch that day. Well, they were pups and who is so stony-hearted to refuse a pup? But my friend reckons they will eat just about anything and looking at the chemical analysis of their stomach acids it is no ruddy wonder.

goosey · #4 (**permalink**) 07-01-2009, 08:18 AM

What were you doing feeding wolf pups? I take it that you weren't in the wild doing this? And who is your friend who knows about the content and acids in wolves stomaches?

tufftie · #5 (**permalink**) 07-01-2009, 08:23 AM

You'll also find that a lot of carnivores are in fact omnivores as they always eat the stomach contents of the herbivores they catch for the veg they contain. I assume this is to extract vital vitamins?

tcvarlh · #6 (**permalink**) 07-01-2009, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goosey

What were you doing feeding wolf pups? I take it that you weren't in the wild doing this? And who is your friend who knows about the content and acids in wolves stomaches?

I have a friend who is a 'keeper' of a pack of wolves and of three bears. Yes, in the wild. And before anyone starts going silly, the estate is legal. It's a project run by the government of the country. A reserve in both senses of the word. What I was doing was visiting him as friend and in a legal capacity. Why I was feeding them my butties? They found my knapsack and could smell the food within and rather than lose a perfectly good bag I surrendered my lunch and received lots of licks and much fun as payment. The reason why he knows so much about stomach acids is due to the autopsies he has to perform now and again when a wolf dies for no apparent reason. There are swine out there who will deposit poisoned meat or even sweets, wolves love toffees. Hunters are bad enough but I would like to see these 'things' hunted by the wolves.