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Post by Gorilla king on Aug 29, 2023 7:12:53 GMT -5
This is the latest study on bison/wolves interactions, from northwestern Canada. (March 2023).
Wolf (Canis lupus) predation and scavenging of reintroduced bison (Bison bison): a hallmark of ecological restoration to boreal food webs
Abstract and Figures
While it is well documented that wolves (Canis lupus) hunt and scavenge bison (Bison bison) from some long-established populations, such ecological interactions are not well known for most small, reintroduced populations in the boreal forest. Indeed, predation or scavenging of reintroduced bison in the boreal forest is rarely reported. Yet, documenting instances of bison killed or consumed is imperative to understanding the integration of reintroduced populations into local food webs and ecosystems. Such observations also indicate that reintroduced bison may be under selective pressure from their key predator. We compiled 20 verifiable observations of wolves hunting or scavenging bison from three reintroduced populations in northwestern Canada. We report the first confirmed observations of wolves feeding on bison from the ‘Nahanni’ and ‘Pink Mountain’ populations. We also report new records of wolves hunting or scavenging bison from the ‘Aishihik’ population. Where sex was known, most (14 of 17) bison consumed were females and 17 of 20 were adults (either sex). Contrary to other studies, we found that 7 of 20 bison consumed by wolves were aged individuals. It took 19–50 years since bison were reintroduction before verifiable observations of wolf-bison interactions emerged for these populations, indicating that wolves were likely slow to view reintroduced bison as prey and incorporate them into their diets. These observations are of value mainly because they provide unequivocal evidence that these reintroduced bison populations are becoming integrated into local food webs and beginning to be under selective pressure by their main predator, both of which are hallmarks of ecological restoration.
Photographs of an adult male bison (Bison bison) eaten by wolves (Canis lupus) in northeastern British Columbia (Nahanni population) on 26 January 2022. A The kill site viewed from a helicopter, and B the carcass. Photographs by Thomas Jung
www.researchgate.net/publication/369604118_Wolf_Canis_lupus_predation_and_scavenging_of_reintroduced_bison_Bison_bison_a_hallmark_of_ecological_restoration_to_boreal_food_webs
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Post by Gorilla king on Aug 29, 2023 7:23:45 GMT -5
Some very important points from the study above:
-Where sex was known, most (14 of 17) bison consumed were females and 17 of 20 were adults (either sex). Contrary to other studies, we found that 7 of 20 bison consumed by wolves were aged individuals
-Most records where sex was known were of female bison (13 of 17, Table 1), and all of these were of adult animals, including four aged females
-Of the four records of male bison, three were of aged adults. Altogether, 7 of 20 bison in our records were aged animals (Table 1). The skew toward aged animals differs from that reported earlier (Smith et al. 2000; Jung 2011). For instance, 9 of 14 bison confirmed killed by wolves in Yellowstone National Park during 1997–1999 were calves or subadults (Smith et al. 2000). Only one aged male was observed killed by wolves in that study, and it had a broken leg (Smith et al. 2000)
-Disease, poor physical condition, and adverse weather conditions, such as deep snow, may influence the vulnerability of some individuals or populations to wolf predation. Large, aged male bison from the Aishihik or Pink Mountain populations may be also seri-ously injured or die from wounds inflicted by hunters (Jung 2021) or fighting with other males (Jung and Larter 2021)
-Wolves may focus largely on bison that are injured, such as older-aged animals, or resort to scavenging, as opportunities arise
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Post by Gorilla king on Aug 29, 2023 14:47:25 GMT -5
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Post by oldindigosilverback on Aug 30, 2023 8:07:09 GMT -5
Very few animals are tougher than a bison. I will say the Sumatran rhino and above would be.
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Post by brobear on Aug 30, 2023 10:35:38 GMT -5
Very few animals are tougher than a bison. I will say the Sumatran rhino and above would be. Where land-based mammals are concerned, the pachyderms (elephant, hippo, and rhino) are undefeatable... although a really big brown bear *might be able to take down the smallest kind of rhino. Bovines cannot compete with pachyderms.
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Post by Gorilla king on Sept 4, 2023 8:11:54 GMT -5
Definitely not a predator of bison, but something interesting.
On another occasion, Huisman observed one interaction where a black bear appeared to be harassing a herd, but in neither case, was there any evidence of persistent attacks that could have resulted in kills.books.google.com.ar/books?id=EINFAQAAIAAJ&q=On+another+occasion+
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Post by Gorilla king on Sept 16, 2023 8:41:40 GMT -5
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Post by Gorilla king on Sept 18, 2023 7:10:25 GMT -5
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Post by Gorilla king on Sept 19, 2023 18:40:22 GMT -5
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Post by Gorilla king on Sept 26, 2023 10:50:08 GMT -5
SOME INTERACTIONS BETWEEN BISON AND CERVIDS/ARTIODACTYLS: DAMN, BISONS ARE LIKE "PREDATORS"
In Jackson Hole Wildlife Park, McHugh (1958) considered bison at the top of the interspecific dominance hierarchy, followed by elk, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, moose, and white-tailed deer. Bison are usually dominant over elk and McHugh (1958) noted that bison calves could displace six-point bull elk. However, at the edge of bison herds, five and six-point bull elk could displace bison cows and yearling bulls. Aggression by bison reversed any elk dominance. Bison occasionally forced elk into deep snow in winter and chased them from feed in summer. The usually wary elk were caught and butted. Bison harass and kill elk calves in Jackson Hole Wildlife Park, Fort Niobrara national wildlife refuge, Wind cave national park, and Yellowstone national park.
On another occasion, a harem bull elk killed a yearling bison (McHugh 1958).books.google.com.ar/books?id=-xQalfqP7BcC&pg=PA1038&dq=bison+in+relation+to+burn+patterns+and+tallgrass+prairie+
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Jiren
Black bear
“Water can flow, or it can crash”.
Posts: 307
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Post by Jiren on Oct 21, 2023 10:02:25 GMT -5
Not sure if this has been posted, but I saw this: The park’s staff doesn’t see bears kill bison very often, Gunther said, but it probably happens more often than known because such kills aren’t usually so visible. Gunther said he once saw an adult cow bison killed by a big male grizzly. He’s also seen bison carcasses with bite marks on their spines. One time he saw a grizzly chase off wolves that were killing a bison. The bear finished the wolves’ work. “We had a collared bear that would occasionally kill adult bison,” he said. “So some bears get somewhat proficient at it.” amp.idahostatesman.com/outdoors/article243870102.html
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Post by Gorilla king on Oct 21, 2023 11:21:01 GMT -5
Not sure if this has been posted, but I saw this: The park’s staff doesn’t see bears kill bison very often, Gunther said, but it probably happens more often than known because such kills aren’t usually so visible. Gunther said he once saw an adult cow bison killed by a big male grizzly. He’s also seen bison carcasses with bite marks on their spines. One time he saw a grizzly chase off wolves that were killing a bison. The bear finished the wolves’ work. “We had a collared bear that would occasionally kill adult bison,” he said. “So some bears get somewhat proficient at it.” amp.idahostatesman.com/outdoors/article243870102.html All this coincides with all the info posted in this thread, so its reliable. Just to clarify some points though:
Not surprising. This happens from time to time. I bet it wasn't an easy kill though.
Most of those bison calves.
Most likely a whole wolf pack, and most likely a bison in its weakest state. Doesn't state if it was an adult either.
Most (if not all), adult females, and most likely at its weakest state.
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Post by Gorilla king on Oct 23, 2023 15:47:48 GMT -5
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Post by Gorilla king on Oct 29, 2023 7:38:43 GMT -5
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Post by oldindigosilverback on Oct 31, 2023 2:37:36 GMT -5
No lone wolf can kill a bison. I know there is a case on newspaper of a wolf killing a musk oxen after a long battle but that seems to be a 0.01% rare event.
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Post by arctozilla on Nov 1, 2023 3:05:52 GMT -5
The musk ox was also likely in weakened state. The article said it died out of exhaustation.
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Post by oldindigosilverback on Nov 1, 2023 6:46:16 GMT -5
The musk ox was also likely in weakened state. The article said it died out of exhaustation. You may be right although the newspaper did not state the condition of the musk oxen, it is important to note that old bulls live alone after being driven off by a younger male.
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Post by Gorilla king on Nov 23, 2023 17:13:54 GMT -5
Big Game of North America: Ecology and Management
Chapter 8, bison
Predation
The physical structure of bison, with massive front quarters, and its stolid temperament, suggest that as a species it evolved to face danger rather than flee, making them quite vulnerable to the modern rifle. Only two predators other than man have been associated with bison: the grizzly bear and wolf. We cannot evaluate fairly their historic relationships to the bison, but instances of grizzly predation must have been opportunistic and infrequent. Judging by some accounts, bears were losers as often as winners in direct conflicts with bison. Rare circumstantial evidence for grizzly predation in Yellowstone has been found. More important, winter-killed bison provide carrion for grizzlies emerging from winter dens.
Wolves prey on bison in Wood Buffalo National Park. They act as culling agents, but do not regulate the bison population. At present, wolves are too few in Yellowstone to exert significant predation; historical records suggest that elk would be more likely prey in this locale.
books.google.com.ar/books?id=JopPAQAAIAAJ&q=Big+game+of+North+America:+ecology+and+management%C2%A0&dq=Big+game+of+North+America:+ecology+and+management%C2%A0&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y
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Post by Gorilla king on Nov 26, 2023 13:36:11 GMT -5
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Post by oldindigosilverback on Nov 27, 2023 3:01:31 GMT -5
In the end the sick female bison was killed by a grizzly.
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