The black wolves were recorded by one of the photo traps installed by scientists from the SAVE Wildlife Foundation, who are studying wolves in the Świętokrzyskie region. Naturalists emphasize that black wolves do occur in nature, but they are rare in our latitude.
The SAVE Wildlife Foundation, which has been observing wolves in the Świętokrzyskie forests for years, wants to investigate whether the black predators will remain permanently in the region. They also plan to conduct genetic studies of recorded individuals.
According to the Foundation, dark-colored wolves appear more-or-less sporadically in many places around the world. They are common in North America, especially in one of the most famous national parks – Yellowstone. In Europe, they occur far less frequently. In Poland, sightings of them are not common and are rarely documented.
Such a coloration is the result of a genetic mutation related to the K-locus gene, or more precisely to its version (allele) KB, which causes an overproduction of melanin, the pigment responsible for the dark coloration of the coat.
