Cougar kills wolf on camera near Lake Cowichan

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La Striata
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Cougar kills wolf on camera near Lake Cowichan

Post by La Striata » Sat Jun 06, 2015 1:23 pm

NOTE: click on link to see footage
Cougar vs. wolf: ‘Unreal’ battle caught on camera near Lake Cowichan

Conservation officers are calling it a once-in-a-lifetime sight.

A Lake Cowichan man captured an intense battle in the backcountry between two of B.C.’s most fearsome predators: a cougar and a wolf.

Rod Mizak was driving down a logging service road near Cowichan Lake with a friend at around 3 a.m. on May 21 when he stumbled upon the incredible scene.

“At the beginning we weren’t sure what was going on,” he said. “We realized quite quickly it was a cougar and a wolf…It took a minute for us to pick up our jaws off our laps.”

The two animals were locked in the heat of battle and didn’t even notice his vehicle, Mizak said.

“The cougar was on its back. The wolf and cougar were both locked on [to each other’s] faces, and the wolf had the upper hand,” he said. “Then the wolf decided to let go and the cougar made one leap, and nailed the wolf right between these little trees.”

That’s when the deadly cat made its move, clamping down on the wolf’s neck with its powerful jaw – and delivering the killing blow.

“The crunch of the spine, the first initial hit. I relive it still. It was just the most incredible instance I ever could imagine,” Mizak said.


Steve Ackles, a conversation officer in Port Alberni, said Mizak was in the right place at the right time to witness such a rare encounter.

“Two of the most elusive animals in our wilds in B.C. To see that or get a photo of that…is quite unreal,” he said. ““He should go buy a lottery ticket.”

Ackles said it’s surprising because cougars are usually cowardly and prey on smaller or more helpless animals like deer, racoons and feral cats.

“But to attack an animal that can actually fight back, that is another predator, is pretty rare.”

Mizak suspects that the animals were fighting over some sort of game.

He left the site before the cougar, and when he came back later, he said both the cougar and the body of the wolf were gone.

http://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/mobil ... -1.2409316
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Re: Cougar kills wolf on camera near Lake Cowichan

Post by Koa » Mon Jun 08, 2015 8:17 pm

That would have certainly been a sight to see! I'm somewhat surprised to hear that the wolf appeared to be "winning," but I'm not surprised at the actual outcome.
I was unable to access the video on the link provided (I'm also on my phone), so here is another link if anyone else is having trouble-
http://globalnews.ca/news/2041149/vanco ... nd-cougar/

Thank you for sharing.

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Re: Cougar kills wolf on camera near Lake Cowichan

Post by La Striata » Mon Jun 08, 2015 11:32 pm

Koa wrote:That would have certainly been a sight to see! I'm somewhat surprised to hear that the wolf appeared to be "winning," but I'm not surprised at the actual outcome.
I was unable to access the video on the link provided (I'm also on my phone), so here is another link if anyone else is having trouble-
http://globalnews.ca/news/2041149/vanco ... nd-cougar/

Thank you for sharing.
I actually doubt the wolf was dominating. When a cat is on its back, it's at its most dangerous, making use of all its claws and its weight to hold prey in place. I've seen this done by lions attacking hyenas: the lion grabs the hyena, then lies on its back, using its weight to prevent the hyena from escaping.
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Re: Cougar kills wolf on camera near Lake Cowichan

Post by Nordue » Tue Jun 09, 2015 4:55 pm

La Striata wrote: the lion grabs the hyena, then lies on its back, using its weight to prevent the hyena from escaping.
  • While I don't doubt the strategy is effective, I am having some trouble understanding the logic of being on your back and having a weight advantage. Do you mean that the cat is harder to upset/escape from when it is lying on its back?

    Interesting word choice Ackles to describe the ideal prey choice of a cougar: "cowardly"...

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Re: Cougar kills wolf on camera near Lake Cowichan

Post by La Striata » Wed Jun 10, 2015 1:57 am

Nordue wrote: Do you mean that the cat is harder to upset/escape from when it is lying on its back?
That's exactly what I mean. Here's the technique in action:

See 1:43
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Re: Cougar kills wolf on camera near Lake Cowichan

Post by Noctis_ » Mon Jul 20, 2015 9:10 am

If someone walked up to me and asked me who would win in a cougar vs. wolf fight, my immediate answer would be the cougar.
Now, if it was a pack of wolves against the cougar, the cougar wouldn't stand a chance.

La Striata wrote:
Nordue wrote: Do you mean that the cat is harder to upset/escape from when it is lying on its back?


That's exactly what I mean. Here's the technique in action:

See 1:43
Makes sense. I think what La Striata meant by using its weight to hold prey in place was this: a cougar (on average) is a good 30 lbs heavier than a wolf. If the cougar is laying on its back and stationary, the wolf would have an awfully hard time moving the cougar or away from it, especially if the cat was using claws and teeth to hold it. Any advantage the wolf may have had was lost the moment it let go.[/color]
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Re: Cougar kills wolf on camera near Lake Cowichan

Post by Wolfqueen2301 » Tue Nov 03, 2015 2:46 pm

I think that is just tragic! I am a wolf lover and I just wouldn`t believe that that guy/gal would do that! That is just disappointing! :x
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Re: Cougar kills wolf on camera near Lake Cowichan

Post by La Striata » Wed Nov 04, 2015 6:45 am

Wolfqueen2301 wrote:I think that is just tragic! I am a wolf lover and I just wouldn`t believe that that guy/gal would do that! That is just disappointing! :x
What are you talking about?
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Re: Cougar kills wolf on camera near Lake Cowichan

Post by Airamyst » Thu Nov 05, 2015 10:53 am

Nice would have liked to see the battle myself. Though from a very safe distance. Still I haven't ever heard of this happening so they must have really had something worth fighting for? Guessing its prey like they said. .3.

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Re: Cougar kills wolf on camera near Lake Cowichan

Post by AmberZeWolf » Sat Nov 07, 2015 5:00 am

Wolfqueen2301 wrote:I think that is just tragic! I am a wolf lover and I just wouldn`t believe that that guy/gal would do that! That is just disappointing! :x
Well, this is survival of the fittest. It probably was the wolf's fault for not having a pack before challenging the cougar. Unless the cougar was the attacker. Life depends on each creature's choices.
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Re: Cougar kills wolf on camera near Lake Cowichan

Post by Wolvencall » Sat Nov 07, 2015 8:49 am

Its relatively rare for cougar and wolf interactions due to the growing scarcity of the wild cats but a lone wolf definitely would not stand a chance against a cougar protecting its kill, or depending on the season if the cougar has cubs.
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Re: Cougar kills wolf on camera near Lake Cowichan

Post by roguemoon » Sat Nov 07, 2015 10:31 pm

Wolfqueen2301 wrote:I think that is just tragic! I am a wolf lover and I just wouldn`t believe that that guy/gal would do that! That is just disappointing! :x
I understand where you're coming from, but if you're sad the man didn't do anything to help I highly doubt he could have done anything short of physically intervening. As he said, they were so focused on fighting they didn't even notice his car. He would have had to throw something at one of the animals likely, or create one heck of a distraction (at my local dog park, some people bring mini air horns or noise makers to interrupt dogs if they get in a fight. And those aren't even fatal fights, so I imagine you would need something much mored drastic to make the wolf and cougar split up), and it would be incredibly unsafe for him to have left his vehicles. Either animal could turn on him instead. It is sad that this occurred and the unfortunate wolf was killed, but it is also incredible that such an incredibly rare occurrence was captured on camera. It gives us a rare glimpse into the lives of the animals. At the very least, it gives us some further knowledge and understanding of how these two animals interact.
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