Extinguishing a learned response in a free-ranging gray wolf (Canis lupus)

L. David Mech

doi:10.22621/cfn.v131i1.1951

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Extinguishing a learned response in a free-ranging gray wolf (Canis lupus)

L. David Mech

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Abstract

A free-ranging Gray Wolf (Canis lupus), habituated to human presence (the author) on Ellesmere Island, Canada, learned to anticipate experimental feeding by a human, became impatient, persistent, and bold and exhibited stalking behaviour toward the food source. Only after the author offered the wolf about 90 clumps of dry soil over a period of 45 minutes in three bouts, did the wolf give up this behaviour. To my knowledge, this is the first example of extinguishing a learned response in a free-ranging wolf and provides new insight into the learning behaviour of such animals.

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Canadian Field-Naturalist Article

Source-reported bounding extent: 75.95223506623554° to 83.43027839553869° latitude; -97.646484375° to -60.55664062499999° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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L. David Mech. 2017-07-14. Extinguishing a learned response in a free-ranging gray wolf (Canis lupus). https://doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v131i1.1951

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