Wolf vs. Lynx: Which is Stronger? Zoologists Say: Lynx Can Defeat Wolves in a One-on-One Fight!
Read literature materials or consult with experts on wolves and lynx, we often hear that the predators of lynx in Asia are mainly leopards, and in Europe they are mainly wolves; wolves suppress the population of lynx, when wolves flourish in a place, lynx will disappear; powerful wolf packs will attack and kill lynx, especially young lynx.
But if we delve deeper, we will find that all these statements are lacking evidence. It is said that wolves suppressed the lynx population in Slovakia and the Altai region, but these statements have no detailed information, we are not sure whether the scarcity or disappearance of lynx is due to wolves, or due to human hunting, environmental destruction and dwindling prey. The zoology conjecture is that the latter is more likely.
Regarding the lynx killed by wolves, there are only two examples, in 1937, two wolves killed and ate a lynx that had not yet escaped to the tree, and in 1947, in two wolf droppings, there were lynx bones and fur——which is not reliable evidence that wolves kill lynx, it may also be a case of scavenging behavior, because interspecies killing between carnivores usually does not involve eatingFor 80 years, despite the fact that animal scientists in Europe, Siberia, East Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East have conducted a large number of studies, they have never found any evidence that wolves kill lynx, and they have never found any lynx components in wolf droppingsWe can't help but wonder whether the report of 1937 in which two wolves killed a lynx is true or not, or it is just a very rare incidental case.
Now, Professor Vadim Sydorovitch of the Belarusian Academy of Sciences has conducted a very comprehensive and detailed study in the Naliboki and Pazel forests, and has partially unraveled this mystery. It turns out that the so-called wolves are the enemies of lynx, wolves kill lynx, and so on, these are just speculations and beliefs.
A male wolf and a male lynx confronting each other
Vadim and his wife, colleagues spent a lot of time in the Belarusian forest and conducted a large number of field surveys.They only found that lynx were killed by lynx (male lynx killed other male lynx or cubs), they never found evidence of lynx being killed by wolves. Instead, they found many instances of different sized young wolves and pregnant female wolves being killed by lynx
From 1997 to 2015, in the Naliboki and Pazel forests, eight 2-11 month old young wolves and two pregnant female wolves were killed by lynxIn 2017, in the Naliboki forest, a pregnant female wolf was killed, the perpetrator was either a lynx or a wolf, most likely the former
In 2016 and 2017, in the Naliboki forest, at least two litters of one to two month old young wolves were killed by lynx. There were also two pregnant females suspected of being killed by lynx
In June-July 2016, in the Naliboki forest
A smaller female wolf and her two-three month old cubs were highly suspected of being killed by lynxIn April 2017, in the Naliboki forest
A male wolf was seriously injured by a male lynxThese killings occurred at different times and places, indicating that the perpetrator was different lynx, not a clever killer lynx.
Vadim bluntly stated his point of view: lynx, especially adult male lynx, frequently kill young wolves and pregnant female wolves, which in turn inhibits the reproduction of wolves, thereby affecting the population dynamics of wolves, at least in the forests of Belarus
Now, Vadim and his colleagues have sufficient evidence to confirm this.The following is animal research data collected by zoologists in the Belarusian Naliboki forest, showing the interaction between wolves and lynx, demonstrating the dominance of lynx in the competition
Example 1
A pair of wolves guarding their cubs outside their denThe next day
A male lynx visited the wolf den, after which the pair of wolves lost their cubsThe lynx's photo has snow while the wolf's photo does not, because it was just snowed that morningExample 2
On March 13, 2017, animal camera traps captured a confrontation between an adult male wolf and an adult male lynx. The fight took place on a small road in the forest. This male lynx was named Casimir, who often used urine and claw marks to mark his territory and care for his fur. That afternoon, the temperature was around 2℃, Casimir, as usual, rubbed bark to leave his scent. Suddenly, he sensed an enemy, a male wolf!Casimir had trees to climb, but he didn't climb the trees like many people thought, he stood his ground and confronted the wolf!
The two fought, twisting and turning together
Casimir knocked the wolf down and attacked the wolf's abdomen!
The wolf fled, and Casimir continued his business, he was marking his territoryAfter finishing, Casimir left
Casimir left for about five to six minutes, and the wolf returned. He was obviously injured. This wolf disappeared afterwards, and animal scientists suspected he was dead from the injuries sustained in the fight
The day before, March 12th at 14:51, the animal camera photographed this male wolf, at that time he was fine and had no injuries. Afterwards, this wolf disappeared, likely dead
Example 3
This is a wolf using a cave
The lynx visited and inspected this wolf denExample 4
A wolf's reaction to lynx scent. This dead tree was marked by a male lynx and a female lynx respectively using urine
Two wolves passed this dead tree, they carefully inspected it, their ears were stretched out, indicating fear or submissionIt is difficult for many people to believe that lynx can kill healthy wolves. According to Vadim's data, the weight of a male wolf in Belarus is 39kg, and the weight of a male lynx is 23.5kg, the former is 40% larger; if we consider the difference between the sexes of lynx and wolves, the difference between female lynx and wolves is even greater
Moreover, the top carnivore experts in Europe, Vadim, firmly believe that a single adult male lynx can defeat any lone wolf in a one-on-one confrontation
Casimir, the male wolf, knocked the wolf down to the ground, attacked the wolf's abdomen. It was clear that Casimir won the fight, and the wolf was likely dead from the injuries sustained in the fight.This wolf was easily identified, and before this fight, Vadim often photographed it. After several hours of this fight, this wolf was photographed one last time, he was obviously injured. Afterwards, this wolf disappeared forever, likely dead
In general, four-month-old young wolves and five-month-old young wolves were killed by lynxIn addition, European researchers studying carnivores, Vadim, is firmly convinced that a single adult male lynx can defeat any lone wolf in a one-on-one confrontation.9449
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