Get you up to speed: Family of bison fight off pack of wolves to protect calf being attacked | News World
A camera trap in Białowieża Primeval Forest captured footage of a family of bison fighting off five wolves attempting to attack a calf on September 15 last year. The two cows in the footage successfully drove off the wolves during the incident.
The incident was recorded on September 15 last year in the Białowieża Primeval Forest, which spans 350,600 acres on the Poland-Belarus border. Historical records indicate that wolf attacks on European bison were more frequent in the 19th century, with approximately eight documented kills annually between 1840 and 1849.
The unprecedented footage has prompted discussions among conservationists regarding the dynamics of predator-prey relationships in the Białowieża Primeval Forest, with some suggesting that a reassessment of European bison’s ecological role may be necessary. The Polish Ministry of Environment has indicated it will review monitoring and protection strategies for both bison and wolves in light of this incident.
What remains unclear — It is unknown whether wolf attacks on European bison are becoming more frequent in the Białowieża Primeval Forest.
Bison family defends calf from wolves in Białowieża Primeval Forest
A camera trap in a Polish forest has captured first-of-its-kind footage of a family of bison fighting off a pack of wolves.
On September 15 last year, five wolves began hunting the animals – only to be driven off.
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 clip was recorded in the Białowieża Primeval Forest, the oldest and best-preserved temperate lowland forest in Europe, which hosts the world’s largest population of European bison.
A herd of bison came to the rescue of a young calf after it was attacked by wolves in Białowieża Primeval Forest (Picture: Wijnands & Borowik,/Cover Media)
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The forest covers 350,600 acres (141,900 hectares) on the border between Poland and Belarus. There are more than 870 bison on the Polish side, while the Belarusian side has roughly 730 bison.
Also known as ‘the king of the forest,’ the European bison is typically considered a non-prey species, meaning it has no predators except humans. But the footage calls this into question.
The wolves attacked twice before being driven off (Picture: Wijnands & Borowik,/Cover Media)
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 onwards, 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.
It is the first time an incident like this has been captured on camera (Picture: Wijnands & Borowik,/Cover Media)
The first confirmed bison kill since reintroduction dates to the mid-1990s, after which wolves appeared to shift their diet towards roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), red deer (Cervus elaphus) and wild boar (Sus scrofa), likely because these species are easier prey than bison.
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