Red Fox Caught on Camera Preying on a Wolf Pup in First-Ever Video-Documented Case
A fox approaching a wolf den might seem like a risky move. But new research shows the smaller predator didn’t just investigate — it attacked. In a study published in Current Zoology, researchers report the first video-documented case of a red fox preying on a wolf pup, captured by camera traps in Rome. The finding is notable because while wolves are apex predators, their young are vulnerable, and a fox successfully targeting a wolf pup had never been seen.
The footage begins late at night. With no adult wolves nearby, a fox circles the den entrance before slipping inside. Moments later, it drags a live pup out. The pup briefly escapes, but the fox returns, and on its second attempt, captures it. After that night, one of the two pups at the den is never seen again.
“We report the first documented case of a red fox attacking and likely preying upon a wolf pup, representing an unprecedented direction of antagonistic interaction between the two species,” the authors wrote in their paper.
Capturing the Attack of a Wolf Pup
The observation comes from a broader study tracking a single wolf pack inside the Castelporziano Presidential Estate, a nature reserve on the outskirts of Rome.
Researchers used GPS collars to follow the wolves’ movements and noticed repeated activity in early April 2025, suggesting a natal den. The pack later moved to a second site about 650 meters away, where the team set up five motion-activated cameras on May 14, 2025, to monitor reproductive behavior around the den.
By mid-May, the cameras captured two young pups moving in and out of the den. A red fox began appearing in the footage around the same time, returning several times to investigate the entrance before the attack took place two nights later.
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The Aftermath at the Den Site
Before the encounter, both pups showed up regularly in the footage, with at least 22 recordings. Afterward, only one pup was ever seen again — even though the cameras captured more than 100 additional clips in the following days.
The remaining pup stayed near the den and was often heard calling, while members of the wolf pack returned on and off. Within a few days, though, the wolves left the site entirely and moved elsewhere. That kind of move isn’t unusual. Wolves are known to relocate their dens if something threatens their young.
A Rare Threat to Wolf Pups
Cases like this are rarely documented, largely because den sites are difficult to monitor continuously. Most reported instances of other animals killing wolf pups involve much larger predators, such as bears or birds of prey.
The finding helps refine how scientists understand interactions between predators. While wolves occupy the top of the food chain, their pups face a different set of risks, including, in some cases, opportunistic attacks from smaller carnivores.
Researchers also point out that the attack likely wasn’t driven by hunger. The area had plenty of prey, such as young deer, suggesting the fox acted out of opportunity rather than necessity.
The observation points to a source of pup mortality that has likely been overlooked, but could still play a role in shaping wolf survival.
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