A camera trap in Poland's Białowieża Primeval Forest has captured unprecedented footage of a family of European bison fighting off a pack of wolves, according to a study published in the journal Ecology and Evolution.
Attack and defense
On September 15 last year, five wolves began hunting the bison herd. The recording shows the pack surrounding a calf, biting its neck and attempting to drag it away before two cows come to the rescue. The wolves return and seize the calf a second time, but this time the entire herd mounts a defense, driving the predators off.
The clip was recorded in the Białowieża Primeval Forest, the oldest and best-preserved temperate lowland forest in Europe. The forest covers 350,600 acres (141,900 hectares) on the border between Poland and Belarus. It hosts the world's largest population of European bison, with more than 870 on the Polish side and roughly 730 on the Belarusian side.
Challenging assumptions
European bison, also known as 'the king of the forest,' are typically considered a non-prey species with no predators except humans. However, this footage calls that assumption into question. 'To our knowledge, we present the first video-recorded evidence of wolves attacking a European bison herd in the Białowieża Primaeval Forest,' researchers wrote. 'Although the video did not capture a direct kill, it suggests that other attacks on European bison could potentially be successful.'
Historical context
Historical records indicate that wolf attacks on European bison were once more common, with around eight kills recorded annually in the Białowieża Primeval Forest between 1840 and 1849. The forest was a popular hunting ground for monarchs from the 14th century onward, helping to explain why such detailed records exist.
European bison went extinct in the wild in 1919 but were reintroduced to the Białowieża Primeval Forest in 1952. The first confirmed bison kill since reintroduction dates to the mid-1990s. After that, wolves appeared to shift their diet towards roe deer, red deer, and wild boar, likely because these species are easier prey than bison.
