ESF's Dale Travis Lecture Explores Groundbreaking Wolf Research and Indigenous Partnerships09/25/2026A video of a wolf hauling a crab trap out of the water stunned viewers around the world, sparking headlines and raising new questions about animal intelligence and behavior. On Sept. 24, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) Assistant Professor Kyle Artelle took audiences beyond the viral moment to reveal the remarkable story behind the footage and the groundbreaking research that made it possible.imageA person stands at a podium in a packed auditorium, presenting a slide titled “Tool Use” that features examples of animal tool use from National Geographic and The Guardian. Audience members fill the seats as the presentation is projected on a large screen beside an ESF banner.ESF Assistant Professor Kyle Artelle presents “Discover the Place of Wolves” during the Dale L. Travis Lecture Series on Sept. 24. The lecture explored groundbreaking research that led to the first recorded evidence of tool use by wild wolves.