Strength in numbers.
Both bison and wolves believe in that mantra, often traveling together to make survival, or hunting, easier. But what happens when a herd of bison and wolf pack collide?
This video from BBC’s Frozen Planet II helps to answer that question. A snow covered Canadian landscape was home to a showdown for the ages, and thanks to the TV program showcasing nature, the battle for life and death was caught on camera.
The snow covered landscape was the setting for a good, old-fashioned bison hunt (which can often be unsuccessful for predators). Wolves scanned and sniffed the tracks left behind in the wintry precipitation, and once they locked in on the scent, it was game on.
It didn’t take long for this team of wolves to narrow in on the bison herd’s location, and once the large 2,000 pound beasts were spotted, the wolves slowly approached with a game plan.
Bison are among the most challenging prey for wolves to bring down. Not only does their size cause an issue, but their horns could easily gore and even kill an attacking canine. Wolves know that, and tend to be very carefully when attempting to take down a bison.
The standoff ensued for quite some when the bison and wolves finally came face to face. It was an intense game of chess, as both sides made their own moves in hopes of wearing down their opponent. There were no young bison for the wolves to hone in on, so they ultimately had to go for one of the beasts outside of their normal comfort zone.
That opportunity finally came when the bison herd made a run for it. Natural instincts might lead bison to believe that this is the safest course of action, when in reality, the herd all running in the same direction made it easier for the wolf pack to pick out the weakest link.
It also didn’t help that the bison herd led the pursuing wolves into an area of trees of brush. That gave the upper hand to the attackers, who now had different ways to hide and catch their prey off guard.
After a long, strenuous chase, the wolves finally got one of the smaller bison is separated from the rest of the herd. All of the running through the snow had worn down the bison, and when the wolves realized that they were closing in, the adrenaline of the hunt helped them finish it off.
The bison put up one hell of a fight, but it was no match for the wolf pack once they were able to bring the attack all at once. You can take a look at the brutal takedown, as well the wolves celebrating their freshly caught dinner, in the video below:
