That's no bee

March 20, 2025 10:53 PM

Ethiopian wolves may be pollinating Ethiopian red hot poker plants. The wolves have been observed moving[YT] from plant to plant licking nectar and coincidentally getting a muzzle full of pollen. If the wolves are confirmed to be pollinating these flowers they'd be the largest carnivorous mammals to act as pollinators by far.

Ethiopian wolves previously.

posted by Mitheral (7 comments total)

'Where the bee sucks, there lick I'
posted by jamjam at 11:07 PM on March 20 [3 favorites]

[points to the continued survival of the vanilla orchid and its carnivorous pollinator]
posted by fantabulous timewaster at 1:31 AM on March 21 [7 favorites]

"Sweet" article. Some great pics, too. I get such great vibes from Ethiopia - food, music, the people that I have met... and now I know they have rainbow honey stick crazy looking flowers that are pollinated by cute red wolves!

Think I'll fire up some Mulatu Astatke for my earholes and keep the feeling going.
posted by Smedly, Butlerian jihadi at 6:53 AM on March 21 [3 favorites]

So this is what they meant by "Africanized bees."
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 8:13 AM on March 21 [4 favorites]

If there is one thing that life among humans has taught me, again and again and again and again, over and over in an unceasing drumbeat, it is that we do not deserve wolves.
posted by The Bellman at 9:09 AM on March 21 [4 favorites]

now I like wolves even more. (this is really cool!)

((I'm now picturing wolf-sized bees, like buzzing, flying, fuzzy canids covered in floral cheeto-dust))
posted by supermedusa at 11:53 AM on March 21 [2 favorites]

*they have rainbow honey stick crazy looking flowers*

…and so can you! Kniphofia are a popular garden flower.
posted by leotrotsky at 1:01 PM on March 21 [1 favorite]