It was at this very moment… the elk knew it was done for. Considering elk mainly only consume grasses, tree leaves, twigs, shrubs, bark, and anything of that nature, wolves don’t see elk as any threat at all. They see them as a five star meal.
Yellowstone National Park biologist Doug Smith said that wolves consume up to 2,156 elk in the park a year. In other words, wolves see elk as the perfect prey.
Wolves are the largest members of the canine family, with adult males weighing up to 150 pounds, standing up to 3 feet tall at the shoulder and between 4-5 feet in length. They have a muscular build, a dense coat of fur that ranges from gray to black, and large, powerful jaws that are capable of crushing bones.
Wolves are also known for their endurance and speed and are capable of running for miles at a time in pursuit of prey. They are able to reach speeds up to 40 miles per hour, making them one of the fastest animals in the wild. A cow elk on average comes in at 500 to 600-pounds… that shows you the incredible difference and how powerful and brave these dogs are.
Just take a look at this video for instance.
Somebody driving down an icy road at Yellowstone National Park at night caught the insane footage of a pack of wolves chasing down an elk across the road. You can see for a split second the elk loses its footing and slips on the icy road, and it appears that the wolf following the closest to it nearly got a piece of it in the process. Not to mention, the elk is outnumbered six to one, so the odds are stacked pretty high against it.
Like it or not, it’s the brutality of nature… it would probably take a miracle for the elk to somehow escape this pack, as they’ll use their strength in numbers to wear out this elk cow to the point of exhaustion before eating her alive.
Check it out:
