Mountain lions and grey wolves are each thought-about apex predators in Washington State, however a rising physique of proof reveals that when the 2 species face off in a combat, the cougar often comes out on high. Wildlife officers with the Washington Division of Wildlife just lately got here throughout a wolf that had been killed by a cougar, and so they say it’s at the least the fourth time this has occurred since 2013.
“Folks usually discuss wolves being on the high of the meals chain in the case of carnivores, or that they’re ‘apex’ predators,” WDFW writes in an article revealed Wednesday. “Though that’s correct in some instances, in Washington, we’re seeing a phenomenon that has been comparatively unusual in different states.”
This summer season, WDFW officers discovered proof {that a} mountain lion had killed a wolf within the state. As a part of their efforts to trace the Dominion wolf pack, biologists had fitted one of many wolves within the pack with a GPS collar. When that collar despatched a mortality sign, which occurs every time the collared animal stops transferring for an prolonged time period, WDFW wolf biologist Trent Roussin headed out to analyze. He ultimately discovered the collar nonetheless hooked up to the useless wolf.
“From all of the indicators on the website, it seems the wolf was attacked whereas touring down an outdated overgrown logging street, with the combat ending about 100 yards downhill,” Roussin mentioned.
Roussin then carried out a necropsy on the useless wolf and observed distinct holes within the wolf’s cranium, indicating that “it was pierced by robust feline tooth.”
Extra Proof of Cougars Killing Wolves in Washington
WDFW has documented at the least three different cases of collared wolves being killed by cougars since 2013. This makes the Evergreen State an outlier in comparison with different Western states which are dwelling to each species.
“That’s greater than has been documented in all the Northern Rocky Mountains in twice as a lot time, regardless of that being a a lot bigger space with many extra wolves than Washington,” the company writes. “And it’s possible there are extra instances that we don’t find out about.”
The company discovered one other lion-killed wolf this September, when U.S Forest Service staff knowledgeable WDFW of a moose kill in Stevens County, which is dwelling to the Smackout wolf pack. Roussin investigated that kill website as effectively, and the very first thing he discovered was a full-grown wolf carcass subsequent to an already-consumed cow carcass. He noticed that the grownup feminine wolf had a damaged leg, and he discovered a second, smaller carcass close by that turned out to be a wolf pup.
“Roussin believes that the grownup feminine wolf was killed by the moose because the pack tried to take down their kill,” WDFW explains. “Even after that wolf was killed, the remainder of the pack stayed and was feeding on the moose when a cougar got here in and should have killed the wolf pup whereas trying to say the moose carcass.”
Why Cougars Have the “Higher Paw”
The ranges of grey wolves and cougars overlap all through a lot of North America, and so they usually goal the identical prey (primarily moose, elk, and deer). This creates a sure degree of competitors, and it’s extra possible that cougars “should not a lot searching wolves as competing with them,” WDFW explains.
This aggressive dynamic helps clarify the September incident, which concerned a mountain lion combating with wolves over a kill. The case of the collared wolf that was killed on a logging street this summer season is much less cut-and-dry, nonetheless, and it’s potential that the cougar really ambushed the wolf, in line with the company.
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In contrast to wolves, which journey and hunt in packs, cougars are solitary predators. This provides the large cats a definite benefit over the canines in the case of one-on-one fight. Cougars even have a leg up on the defensive aspect due to their climbing talents. Even when a wolf pack tried to assault a lone mountain lion, the cat might simply get away by climbing a tree and staying effectively out of attain of the wolves.
“More often than not you don’t consider cats with the ability to out-fight canine,” WDFW explains. “[But] when a cougar efficiently ambushes a wolf touring alone, the combat may be very brief, with the cat ending it with a fast chunk to the pinnacle.”
