Swimming Wolves, Canis lupus, attack a swimming Moose, Alces alces

Abstract

In August 2008 at a small pond on Isle Royale, Michigan, we saw three Wolves (Canis lupus) run towards and leap at or onto a cow Moose (Alces alces) standing at the shore's edge in water ca. 1.7 m deep. The Moose swam out into the pond with the Wolves swimming in pursuit while attempting, with occasional success, to climb on the back of the Moose. The chase eventually moved out of our view, but a week later we found a Wolf-eaten cow on the pond's shoreline where we estimated it might have been killed. The animal was ca. 14-yr old with arthritic lesions in the pelvic region. This is apparently the first published report of swimming Wolves attacking and killing a swimming Moose, the kill likely having been made as the Moose emerged from the pond. Remains of a second kill in that pond were found shortly thereafter.