It's not uncommon to see wildlife locked in battle, but what this man saw was truly a once-in-a-lifetime event.
Rod Mizak of Lake Cowichan, B.C., was used to seeing wild animals on the backcountry logging roads near Cowichan Lake. But he never thought he'd see this. As he and a friend approached a confusing scene, it became apparent that he was looking at a deadly brawl between a cougar and a wolf - both fully grown and dangerous.
Meznak quickly grabbed a flashlight and his phone to capture the unique scene.
At first, it appeared that the wolf had the upper hand because the cougar was on its back. That is until it made a deadly mistake. As the two animals' jaws were locked around each other, the wolf let go, and in a split second, the cougar had it by the throat.
What's so unique about two animals fighting in the wild? Mizak notes that not only is it incredibly rare to see two predatory animals fighting each other. But it's also rare to see either animal in the wild at all. They are both incredibly wary and elusive creatures that seem to have forgotten that instinct in the heat of battle.
Neither the wolf nor the cougar seemed to notice Mizak, despite the fact that they were only a few feet away. Mizak noted that he was close enough to touch the wolf's leg at one point and he had the flashlight pointed directly at them. Port Alberni reporter Steve Ackles pointed out the scarcity of such an event.
But to attack another predator that can actually fight back is pretty rare.
Exactly what these two predators were fighting over is anyone's guess. Whether it was territory, food, or some other basic instinct, it looks like the cougar will live to fight another day.
NEXT: LONE WOLF CHASES A MULE DEER BUCK INTO A FLOODED RIVER
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