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Bear and grey wolf interractions in the wild
Bear and grey wolf interractions in the wild
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Bear and grey wolf interractions in the wild
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Very important publication here. Doug Smith, Yellowstone’s wolf biologist.
“Past research by Smith and his crew in Yellowstone’s remote, bear-rich Pelican Valley have found that, between March and October, virtually every wolf kill is taken over by a grizzly bear.” “Wolves get a lot of food stolen from them by grizzlies,” Smith said”  *This image is copyright of its original author https://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/carcass-stealing-by-grizzlies-doesn-t-mean-wolves-kill-more/article_589bb384-3236-5a8b-ba8f-d32e3c0ec3f3.amp.html
If looking at that documentary in my posting #11 and if not interested to watch whole documentary, that part 46.04-48.50. It is interesting to see that behavior getting caught to film. Big male bear using wolf pack to hunt for him. Almost like they would be his employees :) That is fascinating to see and also, imo, can show us, what big males do with tigers in Russian far east. There it is just usually female tiger, who does that same "job" as here wolf pack. It has to be disturbing for animal(s) who get that bear walking behind, knowing that soon after kill, that "giant" arrives. That footage also can give a hint, why that isn´t too common thing though. It demands some size and good self confidence to act like that, not something to see too often. But big dominant male brown bears are quite opportunistic.
I mean you can see on some carcass many bears sometimes, if those are younger males and females/cubs. But forget that sight at the same second, when dominant male arrives. All other bears, wolves, wolverines, whatever there is, vanishes. If not voluntarily, it´s charged. One good example was in study from Yellowstone. Female bear with cubs approached a carcass and there was a wolf pack too. But not mother bear with cubs or wolf pack could do nothing, but to wait, because big male bear was lying on carcass and eating. And after eaten, male bear didn´t care at all about standoff between mother bear and wolf pack, it just went away minding his own business. Usually when mentioning tiger and bear in same posting, it leads to nothing good. But hopefully this could be seen as it is, some thinking and trying to understand interactions between species. For instance it is known, that bears time to time follow tigers in Russian far east and then take over kill or share it with tiger. Same time it is known, that it doesn´t happen all the time. But seeing a bear there waiting for wolves to appear and then starting to follow is fascinating. Even though documentaries are often edited, that scene, where bear walked a moment with wolves, looked authentic. And when combined that to known facts, it just feels logical actually to see that. I don´t think though, that it is like that with tigers :) That would be a total mess if bear would appear there starting to walk side by side with tigress like "Hi chick, what´s up?" :) I haven´t searched too much information about this behavior. Maybe time to look closer just for curiosity. Bear-wolf interactions are luckily quite often caught to film and also otherwise documented quite a lot.
Yes Shadow, that famous video of the large grizzly stealing the kill from 14 wolves. The wolves dont even try. Fortunately, there are some videos of the interactions between bears and wolves. But no videos of interactions between Siberian tigers and Ussuri brown bears. Yellowstone enviroment is much easier for people to be there and film. Wolves get alot of kills stolen by grizzly bears, in some regions, basically every kill is stolen between march and october as Smith said. The wolves unable to stop it as they would lose some pack members, hence its not worth it.
(07-31-2019, 04:09 PM)Roberto Wrote: Yes Shadow, that famous video of the large grizzly stealing the kill from 14 wolves. The wolves dont even try. Fortunately, there are some videos of the interactions between bears and wolves. But no videos of interactions between Siberian tigers and Ussuri brown bears. Yellowstone enviroment is much easier for people to be there and film. Wolves get alot of kills stolen by grizzly bears, in some regions, basically every kill is stolen between march and october as Smith said. The wolves unable to stop it as they would lose some pack members, hence its not worth it. That happens vice versa too, wolves can be also very bold and shamelessly harass even quite big male bears, if they are young and inexperienced. One bites behind and when bear turns around, there is another one biting it. Even though bear can take a lot of punishment, some of these bears get confused and all the time turning to different directions, while wolves circle around and use their better agility. Especially when this happens in swamp, bear can be soon leaving the place... intimidated, irritated, tired, whatever the reason is. More experienced bears can simply walk there, like in that video from Yellowstone, lie down and show with all presence, that "I won´t move and you can´t intimidate me". In those cases even wolf packs give up immediately or very soon when noticing, that this bear isn´t going to act like a chicken without head :) Like all animals, also bears need experience to be able to handle most difficult situations successfully. When you watch different videos, it´s easy to see, when there is a young one without a clue what to do. Not in danger so much, but pride can be hurt badly 
Here are some interactions between adult female grizzly bears with cubs and wolves. This is from Researchgate.
 *This image is copyright of its original author Notice observation #3, adult female bear with 2 cubs vs 4 adult wolves with 2 yearlings, the bear was the dominant species. https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Interactions-between-wolves-and-female-grizzly-bears-with-cubs-in-Yellowstone-National_tbl1_232675464
Here is a photo from nature photographer Lassi Rautiainen. He is very famous and respected in that.
 *This image is copyright of its original author Wolf, which is just snapping this bear from behind is named by Rautiainen as Kippurahäntä (approximate translation ringtail....). The one on the right is then again well known bear harasser, named Perseenpurija (Translation assbiter or bottombiter), he is named like that because he does it a lot, bites bears from behind irritating them and causing bears often to lose partial or whole carcass. Lassi Rautiainen has made even a book about interactions between bears and wolves in Finland. That book can be recommended for all, who are interested to see amazing photos and read fascinating observations. Perseenpurija and his pack are ruthless, when meeting insecure bear on carcass, then again also he and they let it be, when bear is experienced. But these wolves have been seen harassing bears alone, in pairs and in packs. https://www.is.fi/kotimaa/art-2000000706373.html
Bear kills wolf in grizzly attack
By Fred Langan in Toronto 12:01AM BST 28 May 2005 When a four-year old grizzly bear was put in the same five-acre enclosure as four grey wolves, each about the size of a large alsatian, at the Grouse Mountain Refuge for Endangered Wildlife in Vancouver, it was supposed to "provide wildlife with the most natural setting possible". Rather too natural for the dozen or so tourists who watched in horror when the alpha-male wolf went nose-to-nose with the bear over a cow bone. With a single swipe of its paw the 500lb bear took the wolf's head off. In the wild the two species seldom meet. The three remaining wolves are now in a separate enclosure. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/canada/1490932/Bear-kills-wolf-in-grizzly-attack.html (07-31-2019, 06:25 PM)Roberto Wrote: Bear kills wolf in grizzly attack That article is such, that looks like a case in which reporter has taken some... "artistic freedom". Bear can without a doubt kill a wolf with single swipe of paw when getting a good hit. But taking head off, there description changes to nonsense. Reminds me about stories, where is claimed that brown bears would decapitate moose with paw swipe, total nonsense. But looks like, that one more unsuccessful try out to keep bears and wolves in same enclosure. If good luck, that can work out, but there is always a risk for conflict. Maybe animals born in captivity, when wolf goes so close to bear in the way as is written. In wild when there are 4 wolves, they tend to act together, not so stupidly as described in article. Sad and unnecessary cases and first thought in mind is incompetence of zoo-keepers. Anyway that article isn´t credible what comes to description of that kill. Breaking neck isn´t same as decapitation :) (07-31-2019, 06:25 PM)Roberto Wrote: Bear kills wolf in grizzly attack (07-31-2019, 10:50 PM)Shadow Wrote:(07-31-2019, 06:25 PM)Roberto Wrote: Bear kills wolf in grizzly attack Some people wont believe it, some will. Maybe this case the bear threw a well placed paw swipe and decapitated that wolf. Brown bears have a huge shoulder hump, which is pure muscle, that powers the front limbs, the arms are just an extension of the shoulder. This makes brown bears have the strongest front limbs of any predator. Hence, not impossible.  (08-01-2019, 02:37 AM)Roberto Wrote:(07-31-2019, 06:25 PM)Roberto Wrote: Bear kills wolf in grizzly attack There is a large gap between strong forelimbs and being able to decapitate with one swipe. Even devices like the Guillotine which were designed for decapitation would fail from time to time. There has never been a real account of a Bear or Big Cat actually accomplishing this "paw swipe decapitation" in the wild nor are their limbs or claws designed for it. And just so you know, that account is false. Here's the actual account Grizzly kills wolf at Vancouver wildlife refuge
One of the grizzlies, 650-pound Grinder, tried to take the bone away, and when the wolf resisted, the bear struck him. "The other wolves tried to chase Grinder off," Macquisten said, "but he bit the fallen wolf in the neck and killed him. The whole thing probably took about 15 seconds." Macquisten had placed the wolves and bears in the same enclosure 10 days ago, hoping they would provide stimulation for each other. They previously occupied separate but adjacent enclosures. "One of the biggest challenges of caring for captive bears and wolves is boredom," Macquisten said. "In the woods, they need their wits to survive. So what provides interest is the presence of another species they can't quite figure out, but are constantly trying to." He said wolves and European brown bears have been kept successfully in German and Swedish zoos for years. http://www.animaladvocates.com/watchdog.pl?md=read;id=5192 The evidence is here in this video as well... If a group of large bears can't just rip this wolf in half than no way can they just decapitate one with a single swipe. (07-31-2019, 04:47 PM)Roberto Wrote: Here are some interactions between adult female grizzly bears with cubs and wolves. This is from Researchgate. Why would that observation hold any more weight than the one of an Adult Female Bear w/3 cubs vs 5 adult wolves with 3 pups, the wolf being the dominant species or a single adult Bear w/cub vs a Single Adult Wolf with 2 yearlings and the Wolf being dominate there as well? I think we all have seen and read enough to know the ruler between these 2 species is the Bear, why wouldn't they be? If a Male Lion is dominate vs large Hyena Clans than there should be no reason why a Boar Grizzly wouldn't be dominate to similar numbered wolf packs.
Never seen that article you posted. You might be right, that article is more credible. Anyways, that video has nothing to do with this, the bears didnt even take a swipe at That wolf, they just ripped him apart thats all. Does not prove nothing.
(08-01-2019, 03:08 AM)Pckts Wrote:(07-31-2019, 04:47 PM)Roberto Wrote: Here are some interactions between adult female grizzly bears with cubs and wolves. This is from Researchgate. Because it was a female grizzly bear, thats why. Not a male. Quote:Never seen that article you posted. You might be right, that article is more credible. Anyways, that video has nothing to do with this, the bears didnt even take a swipe at That wolf, they just ripped him apart thats all. Does not prove nothing.Of course it proves something, it proves that a Wolf or any animal that size isn't easily ripped apart with teeth and claws, let a lone decapitated by a blunt object not equipped to do that job. Quote:Because it was a female grizzly bear, thats why. Not a maleAll the Bears listed there are Females, my point was you had specifically mentioned one account of a Female Grizzly being dominate over multiple Wolves but for some reason not mentioned anything about similar instances where Sow Grizzlies were subordinate to them, that's all.
“Of course it proves something, it proves that a Wolf or any animal that size isn't easily ripped apart with teeth and claws, let a lone decapitated by a blunt object not equipped to do that job.”
Nobody said anything about being “easily” ripped apart. Just ripped apart thats all. Bears use their claws as a hammer blow, the “blunt” part is used for digging. “All the Bears listed there are Females, my point was you had specifically mentioned one account of a Female Grizzly being dominate over multiple Wolves but for some reason not mentioned anything about similar instances where Sow Grizzlies were subordinate to them, that's all.” Agreed. I just thought it was a great accomplishment. Thats all. |
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