Yellowstone grizzly Bears and Wolves

Kevin Sanders' recent observation of an intense "interaction" between a grizzly bear, a wolf, and two grizzly bear cubs raises a matter that should be discussed.

It is likely that at some point, maybe soon, a grizzly will kill a wolf or vice versa. The occasional killing of grizzlies by wolves and vice versa has been observed by biologists from time-to-time in Canada and Alaska. Some conflicts between grizzlies and wolves have been observed since the first summer wolves were restored to Yellowstone.

Remember that both wolves and grizzlies are on the threatened or the endangered species list, although the reintroduced wolves in central Idaho and the Yellowstone area have the special status of a "non-essential, experimental" population.

When a mortality occurs, folks should expect a "big stink" from groups that oppose both grizzly and wolf recovery. Even during the first few months after release back in 1995, rumors where circulating in cafes and Western "watering holes" that the wolves were killing the grizzly bears. Quelling these "urban legends" is one reason I have maintained my wolf web page.

When the likely mortality occurs, be prepared for interviews such as the following with a hypothetical livestock operator. "We have made all sorts of changes in our operations to accommodate the grizzly, and now the damn wolves are killing the bears and no one does anything about it."

While an occasional mortality is likely, all of the biologists I have spoken to have indicated that the most likely effect of wolves on grizzlies in the Greater Yellowstone area will be neutral or positive to the grizzlies. The positive impact scenario would mostly likely be that wolves provide grizzlies with additional animal protein (such as when a grizzly "claims" a wolf kill or perhaps feeds on an abandoned kill). This additional protein will be most important in those years when one or more of the grizzlies' traditional sources of food fail (such as whitebark pine nuts or berries). There were failures of one or more such food sources in 1994 and 1995. This is one reason so many grizzlies died at human hands in those two years.

If a mortality happens, I hope readers of the wolf update will assume the burden of writing letters to the editor and posting stuff to the interest.

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© 1997 Ralph Maughan
Not to be reprinted, archived, redistributed, etc., without permission.