Wolf (Canis lupus)

[TheNormalGuy]

Evidence is that wolves are protecting pronghorn with their hostility to coyotes

Yellowstone National Park

by RALPH MAUGHAN on JULY 26, 2012

Presence of wolves helps survival of pronghorn fawn, normally a major prey item for coyotes-

Wolves have a complicated relationship to their prey and to competing carnivores and omnivores such as bears. Simple statements such as every animal a wolf kills is one less for a hunter are fantasy. In reality wolves can directly or indirectly cause the populations of their prey to drop, remain steady or even increase as they exert their many effects on the environment and the environment influences their population size too (witness the big natural decline in the Yellowstone Park wolf population). The effects of wolves can also change over time in the same area depending on external events such as forest fires that influence their prey and wolves’ competitors.

Nevertheless, generalizations are possible and one of the more interesting ones is the tendency of wolves to benefit pronghorn antelope populations in places where pronghorn numbers are being suppressed by heavy coyote predation on the tiny pronghorn fawn. Neither wolves nor coyotes have any effect on adult pronghorn because they can’t catch them except in very rare circumstances.

First noticed at least a decade ago, there is considerable evidence that wolves are indirectly leading to an increase in pronghorn populations in both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.

Patrick Dawson has a lengthy article on wolves, coyotes, and pronghorn in WyoFile. 

His article : Do Wolves help Pronghorn? Yellowstone Pronghorn find sanctuary in the Shadow of the Wolf.

Here is the link to Ralph Maughan article : Evidence is that wolves are protecting pronghorn with their hostility to coyotes (July 26, 2012)

---

*This image is copyright of its original author

Picture of Larry Mayer 

Quote:Several YouTube videos have been shot of coyotes and pronghorns interacting in Yellowstone National Park.

Here is the Link to the interaction chronology (in pictures) of this pronghorn and coyote pictured above :

Photos: Coyote vs. pronghorn Aug 11, 2016

Reply