O Wolf is a species of canid mammal of the genus Canis – the same species as dogs. And just like them, these animals have a preference in the company of a human. In today's article, we'll talk a little more about this curiosity about wolves and explain the reason for this preference.
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Why do wolves have an affinity for human caregivers?
The wolf is known to be a wild animal and a large predator. Therefore, it is a carnivorous species that occupies the top of the food chain, feeding on large and small animals. Due to these factors, humans generally tend to think that they are aggressive animals and cold, however, contrary to what it seems, wolves are affectionate and familiar, as well as dogs.
According to a study carried out by the University of Stockholm and published in the journal Ecology and Evolution, it is possible to state that wolves have an attachment behavior when it comes to human caregivers and prefer the presence of a person familiar. This happens because the interaction with the human has a positive impact on the social behavior of the animal. Check out how this research was done now.
Behavioral testing on wolves and dogs
University researchers tested 10 wolves and 12 dogs in a behavioral study to assess attachment in canids. During the test period, it was possible to analyze that these animals, as well as dogs, showed preference to a familiar person over a stranger. It was also possible to observe that this presence acted as a calming agent for the wolves, thus improving their social behavior.
In one of the tests carried out by the researchers, the wolves and the dogs were placed in the following stress situation: a familiar person and a stranger are transformed in and out of the environment, thus creating confusion in the mind of the animal. In this test, the wolves, like the dogs, were able to discriminate who was the familiar person and the stranger, showing more affection to the familiar. Therefore, it was possible to conclude that this ability is not unique to dogs, but also to wolves.