The King in the Crosshairs: Evidence of a Predation Attempt on European Bison by Wolves

Abstract

The European bison (Bison bonasus), often referred to as ‘the king of the forest’, is a species with a unique and complex conservation story. The large mammal is often described as a non-prey species, serving as a baseline reference in comparative ecological studies. However, historical data and our recent documented observation of wolves (Canis lupus) attacking a European bison herd suggest that they can be subjected to wolf predation. To our knowledge, we present the first video-recorded evidence of wolves attacking a European bison herd in the Białowieża Primaeval Forest, focusing on a newborn calf. Although the video did not capture a direct kill, it suggests that other attacks on European bison could potentially be successful. This raises questions about what this could mean for conservation and management of both species and the extent of European bison-wolf interactions. If wolf predation on bison occurs more frequently than presumed, it could potentially have ecological consequences.