Two rare black wolves, considered brothers, were caught by cameras crossing a stream in a Polish forest, according to the conservation organization.
A rare sighting, taken in video last year, encourages the Save Wildlife Conservation Fund Poland to retrieve scat poop from the forest where wolves were observed, allowing scientists to learn more about the genetics of black wolves.
The Associated Press reported that the video camera was set up to study the beaver by Joanna Toczydlowska, project coordinator for wildlife organizations.
However, she was surprised when she reviewed the recorded footage and instead saw the wolves. She decided to leave her camera to learn more about rare animals.
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Made from a video provided by the Save Wildlife Conservation Fund Poland, the image shows a rare black wolf crossing a stream in a Polish forest last summer. (Saves Wildlife Conservation Fund Poland via AP)
“It's new and unusual,” Tozzidrowska told Wire Services.
In one of the captured clips, a grey wolf and a black wolf crossed a stream in the woods, slowly until the water reached almost the belly. Near the other side, two wolves jumped into the bank before leaving.
In another clip recorded in the fall, two black wolves and grey wolves were seen past the same current.
Researchers did not disclose the location of the sightings to protect rare wolves.
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An unusual wolf was found crossing a stream. (Saves Wildlife Conservation Fund Poland via AP)
In Poland, the majority of nearly 3,000 wolves are grey and come with red or black accents.
The black fur can be from a genetic mutation that occurred in dogs domesticated thousands of years ago.
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One of the black wolves was found in a gray wolf. (Saves Wildlife Conservation Fund Poland via AP)
Toczydlowska said the two black wolves are brothers and are likely about a year old. She also said at least one of the black wolves found was a male.
Wolves were almost extinct in Poland by the 1950s, but the population has been rebounded in recent years, especially in the central part of the country.
Toczydlowska and her colleagues help educate the public about how to live safely in the area where wolves packs live.
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“For people, it's a new phenomenon,” Roman Grah, head of the organization's wolf surveillance project, told the Associated Press. “Education is one of our main major goals.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
