Wolf Predation

[TheHyenid76]

Images & Information from The Way of the Wolf by Dr L. David Mech (world-renowned expert on wolves)

"Usually it is some defect in the prey's defense system that enables wolves to succeed. In this case, a large, old buck has probably weakened from fighting with other bucks and from paying more attention to defending his females during the rutting season than to gaining enough sustenance. During the autumn rut, old males of many species form one of the main prey items of wolves."

*This image is copyright of its original author

"As with other prey, most often the Dall sheep killed by wolves are old adults or young of the year. In the scene above, an eleven-year-old ram that appeared to be healthy was taken. Witnesses to the feeding were heard to actually proclaim what a healthy sheep it was. A closer look, however, revealed that the ram had severe arthritis of its jaw joint, probably greatly affecting its ability to eat properly and maintain its strength and energy."

*This image is copyright of its original author

"Moose, one of the wolf's largest prey, can best defend themselves by standing their ground and defying the pack. The wolves often maneuver around their standing prey, perhaps sizing up the animal or trying to detect any weaknesses. Meanwhile, the prey acts belligerent and tries to intimidate the wolves by charging and striking at them with its hooves. These wolves tried for five minutes to attack this moose, but failing to get it running, they left and continued their hunt for other moose they could catch."

*This image is copyright of its original author

"Sometimes moose run instead of standing their ground, and in all such cases, if the wolves are close enough, they give chase and try to catch and kill the animal. However, most often, even in these cases, the moose are able to lash out at the wolves with their hooves and keep them from attacking. The chase may continue for a mile or more until finally the wolves either attack or abandon the chase."

*This image is copyright of its original author

"When wolves do attack moose, they tend to grab their quarry by the rump or flanks and slow it down. Eventually, an alpha wolf dashes around and tries to grab the moose by the nose. If it succeeds, the moose stops and tries to dislodge this wolf; meanwhile, the other pack members continue to rip at its rump and flanks and bring down the prey."

*This image is copyright of its original author

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