During the winter, wolves hunt in packs for moose, deer, and other large prey. In the spring, they give birth to pups. What do wolves do during the summer? That is one of the biggest knowledge gaps in wolf ecology, according to the University of Minnesota researchers behind the Voyageurs Wolf Project. For this project, researchers attached GPS collars to wolves in Voyageurs National Park in the northwoods of Minnesota to track wolves' predation and reproductive behavior during the summer, when wolves spend more time travelling alone or caring for pups. In one surprising finding, two wolves dispersed and met up again 5 months later and 186 miles away. Under the Photos & Videos tab, readers will not want to miss the "Animations" page, which features animated visualizations of these and other findings, such as the pack movements and wolves' dietary changes through the seasons. The Publications tab provides open-access PDFs of the project's peer-reviewed journal publications and links to popular press coverage. Under the About tab, users can click "About the Project" for more background information or "Greater Voyageurs Ecosystem" to learn more about the ecology of Voyageurs National Park and why it was chosen for this project. Readers hungry for new photos, videos, and project updates can keep up on Facebook, Instagram (@VoyageursWolfProject on both services), Twitter (@VoyaWolfProject), and YouTube. The project is primarily funded by the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund in collaboration with Voyageurs National Park.
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