North America has a number of formidable predators that call it home, but one could argue no two four-legged animals strike as much fear or demand as much notoriety as the wolf and the bear. The two have remained in a timeless competition since humans first became aware of their existence, and it's hard to know for sure har far back the rivalry predates us. The two bring different advantages to the table, as wolves typically boast quantity with their tendency to move and hunt in packs, and bears unquestionably take the upper hand in both strength and size. While the two will go head to head while executing a territorial agenda on occasion, far more often are they fighting over a carcass for their next meal.
Seeing the two interact is an opportunity doused in rarity, but with modern trail camera technology, we're lucky enough to get a few more sightings like the one in the video below. It's no secret that Mother Nature can be cruel in her effort to advance our ecosystems, but there's no way to prepare yourself for an event quite this brutal. The researchers who set the camera up were hoping to monitor activity at a wolf den filled with young pups in Belarus. However, the situation at the den site changes dramatically when a wandering brown bear just happens to stumble across it. With their parents nowhere in sight to defend them, they are sitting ducks for the large bruin. The bear smells the pups and begins ripping the den apart to get at them.
Unfortunately, the camera did not capture every second of the incident. That is why there are gaps between the bear starting to dig the hole and the giant crater a little later in the video. The video's description says this was because the bear moved out of range temporarily. The researchers had purposely kept the camera at a distance so they would not disturb the wolves.
The researchers were unable to determine if the pups died either by being buried by sand or as a meal for the hungry bruin. However, based on the behavior of the wolves later, it seems likely the pups did not survive this incident. We have seen plenty of bear/wolf fight videos here in the past where the wolves got the upper hand.
In this case, it seems the large bruin was simply too much for just two wolves and they appropriately acted scared when investigating their destroyed den. It seems the bear won this round of the never-ending struggle between these two species. It may be difficult to watch, but this is the harsh reality of life in nature.
For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels.
