Sizing up the most dangerous animal to roam North America.? An animal that thrives in the harshest of conditions, killing things by using ice and freezing water to its advantage? Polar bears are nothing to joke with, no matter how tough you are.
The video that comes from Manitoba, Canada, which is one of the best places in the world to get the chance to see these beasts in the wild. It starts with two wolves right on the tail of the polar bear.
Now, polar bears are the largest carnivores in North America and with no natural predators… you’re gonna need a whole lot more than two wolves to take it down. In fact, even with the help of the entire pack, I like the polar bear’s odds. Another wolf joins as they try to get in strategic position to begin the attack.
The bear, now completely on guard, won’t let any of them directly behind it for too long. As the wolves continue to size it up and get into a good position the bear gets more concerned and defensive. Another wolf shows up and the polar bear gets more on guard. Another one shows up, then another. Are they really gonna try and mount and attack?
With the bear clearly concerned and prepared to fight, seven wolves attempt to surround the bear but decide he is too big to tackle. The cons out weigh the pros, and they will have something less dangerous for supper.
And even if they did take this bear down, I feel like it wouldn’t have happened without some major damage done to the pack. Injuries, death… all it takes is one powerful defensive swipe from that polar bear’s paw and one of these wolves would be looking at a fatal injury… it’s not worth the risk. However, it is still pretty amazing watching two predators interact.
The video was summed up by the person who filmed it:
“As a polar bear walked along the Hudson Bay he came into an area where he was met by a pack of wolves. First only a couple of wolves followed him testing him for weaknesses. As more and more wolves joined in, the bear began to take evasive actions.
After a few minutes, the wolves realized that the bear was too big and strong for them to take down and relented. The bear walked away unscathed.
This is very rare and fascinating behavior as wolves don’t normally go after large polar bears due to the high risk of injury or death.”
Grizzly Fights Off Pack Of Wolves At Yellowstone National Park
If you haven’t had the opportunity to get out to Yellowstone, do it… it’s incredible.
If you want nature in its purest form, Yellowstone is the place to go. Wolves, bears, bison, elk… you can see all of it there, and more importantly, how they interact with each other.
Sometimes that means a bear taking down an elk, sometimes it’s a bear defending his kill from another bear, and sometimes it’s a bear defending his stolen elk carcass from a wolves… or rather, an entire pack of wolves.
A recent video went viral from the Yellowstone Caldera, featuring a grizzly bear fighting off an entire pack of wolves, who are take turns trying to chow down on an elk carcass. Make no mistake, wolves travel in packs and their strength is in the numbers. Yeah, they’re fast, they’re powerful, and they’re smart… but when it’s fifteen on one, nobody has chance with those odds.
Except… a Yellowstone grizzly.
“On October 15, 2021, while in Yellowstone for a week, we made a video of 10 plus Junction Pack Wolves fighting with a Grizzly Bear over pieces of Elk carcass. There was butt nipping and paw swiping but no injuries. Looked like they had done this before.”
Even though the bear was heavily outnumbered, he was still able to overcome the wolves and protect the kill.
