Experiments carried out in a Polish forest prove that wolves flee when they hear human voices, reopening the debate about fear and coexistence with the “bad wolf”.
It is possible that the image we have of the “bad wolf” needs an adjustment. An international group of scientists assures that wolves (Canis lupus) are not the terrifying predators described in fictional stories, but rather animals that feel great fear of humans, according to a recent study earlier this month in Current Biology.
“Fear of the legendary ‘big bad wolf’ has dominated public perception of wolves for millennia and considerably influences current debates about conflict between humans and wildlife,” says one from the University of Western Ontario, Canada.
However, even “there are laws that protect them, wolves deeply fear the human ‘superpredator’”adds the institution.
They run away faster and more often
The researchers carried out an experiment in an area of 1,100 square kilometers, at an intersection of paths in the Tuchola forest, in north-central Poland. They installed hidden cameras and speakers. Whenever an animal passed within 10 meters, sounds of people speaking calmly in Polish, dogs barking or non-threatening noises, such as birds chirping, were played.
The research revealed that wolves had double the propensity to run away — and they did it twice as fast — after hearing human voices, compared to other sounds. The same pattern was observed in other animals, such as deer and wild boar.
The real “superpredator” is humans
“Wolves are no exception in their fear of humans, and they have great reason to fear us,” says co-author Liana Zanette.
The results indicate that wolves are aware of the risk of interbreeding with humans during the day, which makes them 4.9 times more active than people at night — a behavior documented in several parts of the world.
Research shows that “humans hunt prey at a much higher rate than other predators and kill large carnivores, such as wolves, at a rate nine times greater than their natural mortality rate, which makes humans a ‘super predator‘” adds Zanette.
Furthermore, “there is increasing experimental evidence on every inhabited continent demonstrating that wildlife around the world — including other large carnivores such as leopards, hyenas and cougars — fear the human ‘superpredator’ above all else,” the report highlights.
Legal protection does not imply absence of fear
Zanette warns that legal protection does not change the relationship between humans and animals, as in most places laws do not prevent wolves from being killed — only from being exterminated. Many believe that certain hunting bans increase the population of these animals and, consequently, reduce their fear of humans.
However, even in regions where they are protected, such as in the European Union, Wolves die at a rate seven times their natural mortality rateboth for legal and illegal reasons.
In Europe and North America, animals are regaining their presence after almost being exterminated. This leads to more encounters with humans, but the hypothesis that “wolves lose their fear thanks to legal protection has no scientific basis”, explains the study.
Possible solutions
Although some farmers report wolf attacks on livestock, research suggests that “any seemingly fearless wolf is, in reality, a frightened wolf that will risk approaching humans to get a piece of food,” explains Zanette.
The expert proposes to refocus the debate on the conflict between humans and wolves through public education about food storage, waste disposal and livestock protection.
