Content uploaded by Lu Carbyn
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Lu Carbyn on May 27, 2016
Content may be subject to copyright.
A preview of the PDF is not available
Unusual movement by Bison, Bison bison, in reponse to Wolf, Canis lupus, predation
Abstract
Pursuit of Bison by Wolves was studied in conjunction with predator-prey studies in Wood Buffalo National Park. The average distance of chases was 4.9 km. This paper describes an unusual chase that was observed when a herd fled for 4.3 km before a calf was killed, then continued to run another 81.5 km within a 24-h period.
... Relative time (%) of lying, standing, moving, eating and drinking behaviours of both the herd and individual bison time budget of the animals. In the wild, bison movement varies according to feed availability(Geremia et al. 2019;Ranglack et al. 2015), predator attacks(Carbyn 1997), human handling(Jung et al. 2019) and during the breeding season(Mooring et al. 2005). ...
The study of bison in zoos can provide insights about the behaviour of this species with application for the management of herds held in captivity for both public display and bison farming. The aim of this study was to describe and investigate the behavioural budget of American bison in captivity, specifically focusing on how these behaviours may be influenced by time of day, visitor pressure and weather. Four bison Bison bison (two male and two female) at the Zoo Aquarium Madrid in Spain were video monitored for 27 days (May 2022) by three solar-powered cameras. From the footage collected, five behaviours were hourly annotated: lying, standing, moving, eating and drinking. The corresponding meteorological data (temperature, relative air humidity, temperature humidity index, wind speed, barometric pressure and solar radiation) were also measured. Data analysis examined bison behaviour and its relationship with time of day (diurnal, nocturnal), visitor pressure (low, high) and meteorological data divided in days by range of observed weather conditions (lower, upper). Bison spent most time lying, followed by standing, moving, eating and drinking. Bison spent more time lying at night and ate more during the day. The animals spent more time drinking during high visitor pressure. Behaviour was affected by weather; increased temperatures and humidity reduced movement time, while elevated barometric pressure was related with more drinking time. Lower pressure and increased solar radiation were associated with less moving/standing time and more lying time, respectively. In summary, bison behaviour was influenced by time of day, visitor pressure and weather parameters.
... It is speculated that visual observation of successful kills and opportunistic feeding on remnant carcasses may reinforce depredation behavior in individual bears, and cubs may learn from mothers (Stirling andDerocher 1990, Linnell et al. 1999). Landscape features, such as vegetation, fences, or variations in topography, can enhance success for predators (Carbyn 1997, Wilson et al. 2005, Goldstein et al. 2006, Kluever et al. 2008, Poessel et al. 2011. Foraging in dense cover can limit the scanning ability of some ungulate species (Scheel 1993, Kuijper et al. 2014. ...
American black bear (Ursus americanus; hereafter, bear) depredation on cattle is a rare occurrence. Our study population of bears normally coexistswith cattle ranching operations in Serranias del Burro, Coahuila, Mexico. However, we observed unusually high incidences of depredation upon cattle during a severe drought in 1999-2000. We documented >60 reports of calf kills among 3 herds; we were able to locate exact kill-site locations for 16 of these cases. Of the 16 kills, 15 were of calves and 1 was of a cow giving birth, which resulted in the death of both cow and calf. We used logistic regression to quantify how landscape features (i.e., grassland vs. woody habitats, distance to screening cover, and distance to water source at 16 kill sites and 26 random sites) influenced probability of cattle kills. Of known kill locations, 88% of kills (n = 14) took place in woody vegetation while 12% (n = 2) took place in grassland. Our analysis indicated that habitat type (woody vs. grassland) and distance to water source were important factors in predicting bear depredation on cattle. Mean probability of depredation was 2-3 times greater in woody vegetation than in open grassland and was highest near water tanks. The probability of encounter between bears and cattle likely increased as they localized movements around watering areas, which happened to coincide with calving areas and season. Bears utilized screening cover to approach and drag off calves while mother cows were foraging. Supervising and keeping cattle in grassland areas until calves are ≥1month old and providing alternatewater sources outside of calving areas may reduce the potential for conflict. Drought may increase the potential for conflict, so cattle management strategies during periods of low rainfall should be altered to minimize losses.
... It is speculated that visual observation of successful kills and opportunistic feeding on remnant carcasses may reinforce depredation behavior in individual bears, and cubs may learn from mothers (Stirling andDerocher 1990, Linnell et al. 1999). Landscape features, such as vegetation, fences, or variations in topography, can enhance success for predators (Carbyn 1997, Wilson et al. 2005, Goldstein et al. 2006, Kluever et al. 2008, Poessel et al. 2011. Foraging in dense cover can limit the scanning ability of some ungulate species (Scheel 1993, Kuijper et al. 2014. ...
American black bear (Ursus americanus; hereafter, bear) depredation on cattle is a rare occurrence. Our study population of bears normally coexists with cattle ranching operations in Serranias del Burro, Coahuila, Mexico. However, we observed unusually high incidences of depredation upon cattle during a severe drought in 1999–2000. We documented >60 reports of calf kills among 3 herds; we were able to locate exact kill-site locations for 16 of these cases. Of the 16 kills, 15 were of calves and 1 was of a cow giving birth, which resulted in the death of both cow and calf. We used logistic regression to quantify how landscape features (i.e., grassland vs. woody habitats, distance to screening cover, and distance to water source at 16 kill sites and 26 random sites) influenced probability of cattle kills. Of known kill locations, 88% of kills (n = 14) took place in woody vegetation while 12% (n = 2) took place in grassland. Our analysis indicated that habitat type (woody vs. grassland) and distance to water source were important factors in predicting bear depredation on cattle. Mean probability of depredation was 2–3 times greater in woody vegetation than in open grassland and was highest near water tanks. The probability of encounter between bears and cattle likely increased as they localized movements around watering areas, which happened to coincide with calving areas and season. Bears utilized screening cover to approach and drag off calves while mother cows were foraging. Supervising and keeping cattle in grassland areas until calves are ≥1 month old and providing alternate water sources outside of calving areas may reduce the potential for conflict. Drought may increase the potential for conflict, so cattle management strategies during periods of low rainfall should be altered to minimize losses.
... Large herds must move around the landscape to reduce predation risk (Fryxell et al. 1988;Seip 1991;Carbyn 1997;Mech and Peterson 2003), as well as to seek fresh forage and avoid fouled areas (Savory with Butterfield 1999;Provenza 2003). Wild herds such as bison are commonly thought to have massed in huge, dense herds, and conceptually this is part of the basis for rotational grazing (Coughenour 1991;Savory with Butterfield 1999). ...
Livestock–large carnivore coexistence practitioners can be more effective by expanding from a direct focus on carnivores and predation-prevention tools to the broader social-ecological context of ranches and rural communities, especially livestock management. Ranchers can apply many of the same approaches that work for rangeland health and livestock production to reduce conflicts with large carnivores. This paper synthesizes evidence from the rangeland, wildlife, and animal sciences into a cohesive argument: modeling livestock management after the grazing patterns and reproductive cycles of wild ungulates in the presence of their predators can improve rangeland health and livestock production—and increase the ability of ranching operations to coexist with native carnivores. The central anti-predator behavior of wild grazing animals is to form large, dense herds that then move around the landscape to seek fresh forage, avoid fouled areas, and escape predators. They also have their young in short, synchronized birthing seasons (predator satiation). Grazing management involving high stocking density and frequent movement, such as rotational grazing and herding with low-stress livestock handling, can improve rangeland health and livestock production, by managing the distribution of grazing across time, space, and plant species. Short calving seasons can increase livestock production and reduce labor inputs, especially when timed to coincide with peak availability of forage quality. Such livestock management approaches based on anti-predator behaviors of wild ungulates may directly and synergistically reduce predation risk— while simultaneously establishing a management context in which other predation‐prevention practices and tools can be used more effectively.
... Second, bison in Yellowstone experience very low predation pressure, compared to what was likely in the past with hunting pressure from humans, and larger numbers of wolves focused on bison (Young and Goldman, 1944;Carbyn, 2003;Kay, 2007). Even if predation was compensatory in ancient times and bison numbers were high, it is likely that predation pressure would have caused bison herds to move, perhaps long distances, as occurs with Canadian bison and wolves (Carbyn, 1997). These differences -freedom to move and greater predation pressure from humans and wolves -make it unlikely that bison would have concentrated in the Lamar Valley in the past as they do today, even if they were present in the region in similar numbers. ...
On the northern ungulate winter range of Yellowstone Park, willow (Salix spp.) and cottonwood (Populus angustifolia and Populus balsamifera) have increased in height and cover in some places since the reintroduction of wolves (Canis lupus) and the subsequent changes in elk (Cervus elaphus) behavior and population densities. However, in the Lamar Valley, an important part of this winter range, many plants are still intensively browsed and recruitment has been limited. As elk numbers have declined and their distribution has changed in recent years, bison (Bison bison) have increased on the northern range. To distinguish bison effects from those of elk, we measured browsing that occurred in summer. We found average summer browse rates of 84% for willow and 54% for cottonwood seedlings in the summer of 2010, demonstrating that bison have become significant browsers in the Lamar Valley. Plants were increasing in size except where intensively browsed by bison, suggesting that a release from elk browsing has occurred, and that a trophic cascade is occurring from wolves to plants, mediated by both elk and bison. Release of bison from competition with elk, low levels of predation on bison, and lack of opportunity for migration and range expansion may be factors contributing to a high concentration of bison, with resulting effects on plant communities and biodiversity.Highlights► Bison increased following the reintroduction of wolves, as elk decreased. ► High summer browsing rates are due to bison: willow 84% and cottonwood 54%. ► Bison are suppressing the growth of willow and cottonwood in the Lamar Valley. ► Bison densities are high in the park, due to low predation and restricted movement.
Abstract We examined interactions between wolves (Canis lupus) and domestic calves within a grazing allotment in central Idaho to evaluate the role of wolf predation in calf survival and movements. During the 1999 and 2000 grazing seasons, we radio-marked 231 calves per year, representing 33% of the calf population, on the Diamond Moose Association (DMA) grazing allotment, and monitored their survival and movements relative to wolf distribution. Overall, calf survival was high ( 95%), with relatively few mortalities (n=13) among the marked population. Non-predation calf mortality (pneumonia, unknown natural causes, and fire) and wolf-caused calf mortality represented 61% and 31% of deaths, respectively, while coyote predation accounted for the remaining (7%) mortality. Calves selected by wolves were younger than the surviving cohort by an average of 26 days (P< 0.05). Calf movement patterns and group size did not vary relative to the level of spatial overlap with wolves, however, vulnerability to predation appeared to be correlated with spatial proximity of calves to wolf home,ranges and rendezvous sites. These results suggest that in our study area the overall impact of wolves on calf survival and behavior was modest, and that ranchers could further minimize wolf predation by altering calving periods to favor older calves and minimize spatial overlap between grazing cattle and areas of intense wolf activity. 3
Bison-wolf interactions were observed from a tower located in the centre of a meadow in Wood Buffalo National Park, Alberta, Canada, from 10 May to 9 September 1980. Special attention was directed to the relationship between bison cow-calf interactions, calf pod formations, and wolf predation attempts. Pod formation began in May and peaked in June. During 102 days in the field, 166 encounters between wolves and bison were observed, of which 51 involved a single wolf interacting with bison. In the main, single wolves watched bison (23% of observations), trailed without follow-up (14%), trailed with follow-up (27%), or harassed them without making physical contact (34%). Only rarely (2% of the observations) did they attack. The remaining 115 encounters involved a pack of wolves (two or more individuals). The majority of them involved trailing with follow-up (26%) or harassment (48%), and rushing with physical contact (13%). Wolves, especially those in packs, preferentially attacked bison herds with calves over herds without calves. Single wolves were more likely than wolves in packs to attack herds of bulls only (34 vs. 5% of such encounters). Strategies used by bison in defence of their calves were recorded along with the hunting strategies employed by wolves.
Quantitative data on predation of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) by wolves (Canis lupus) in east-central Ontario were obtained by following a pack of eight wolves from January 11 to March 20, 1969. Data on sex and age of deer killed during the winters of 1964 to 1969 and success of hunts by wolves in 1968 and 1969 have been included. During the main winter of study, the pack travelled a total of 327 km over a period of 46 days for an average daily travel rate of 7.1 km. The maximum range of the group during the period of surveillance encompassed 224 km2. The pack killed 29 deer during 63 days, or one deer per 2.2 days. Distances travelled between kills ranged from 0.3 to 43.4 km and averaged 14.7. The amount of food available per wolf per day was 3.67 kg. The calculated daily food consumption was 0.10 kg per kg of wolf per day. The average age (2.43) of deer killed by wolves was greater than the average age (2.02) of deer killed by hunters. The sex ratio of 42 adult deer killed by wolves was 250 males:100 females; in a sample of 290 hunter-killed deer the ratio was 92:100. In 1968, the hunting success of wolves was 25 percent compared with 63 percent in 1969. It was calculated that during the 5-month winter period, the wolves removed 9 to 11 percent of the 730 deer present when winter began.
Wolves, bison and the dynamics related to the Peace-Athabasca delta in Canada's Wood Buffalo National Park
- L N Carbyn
- S M Oosenbrug
- D Anions
Carbyn, L. N., S. M. Oosenbrug, and D. Anions. 1993.
Wolves, bison and the dynamics related to the Peace-Athabasca delta in Canada's Wood Buffalo National
Park. Circumpolar Research Series Number 4.
Wolf predation on bison in
- S M Oosenbrug
- L N Carbyn
Oosenbrug, S. M., and L. N. Carbyn. 1985. Wolf predation on bison in Wood Buffalo National Park.