While humans might struggle to coexist with wildlife, non-human coexistence relationships are common in the natural world. In science, we call these unique relationships by terms like mutualism, commensalism, and even, the least friendly, parasitism. These relationships often look strange to us and improbable, but they are far from unnatural. Just take the wolf-raven mutualistic relationship, for example. Their relationship resembles a human friendship. The pair can coexist together for a day or much longer. Photos and videos of these pairs are watched repeatedly on social media. Ravens have also been seen engaging with wolf pups.
If lucky, Yellowstone National Park visitors might glimpse a wolf-raven duo. How does this friendship work? The common raven (Corvus corax), called a “wolf bird” by some cultures, is a scavenger. Gray wolves (Canis lupus) that inhabit the park ecosystem are agile hunters. That makes for a great team. Researchers are attempting to discover more about this relationship, but believe that ravens use their strong vocalization skills to alert wolves to possible prey locations. Ravens are seen at kill sites and enjoy the feast the wolves provide.
This behavior has been observed at Yellowstone, and biologists John Vucetich and Rolf Peterson have witnessed similar behavior in Isle Royale National Park.
