Wolf versus bear: predators face off outside Kamloops, B.C.

AsFrank Ritceyand his spouse hiked through the wilderness near Kamloops, B.C., a week ago, something peculiar caught their attention.

At first the couple couldn't quite make out what it was, but after a closer lookthrough binoculars, they identified a large wolf.

It looked like thewolf was patrolling through the grass hunting mice, but as Ritceywatched he realized the animal was going for amore impressive kill.

A black bear was trundling along a few metres away from the wolf.

Ritcey moved closer to the animals to try to capture video.

Wolf and bear square off in B.C.

6 years ago

Duration 1:36

Two predators face off outside Kamloops, B.C.

"I get out there and make my way around. I'm as close as I think I can safely get," said Ritcey, a columnist for CBC's North by Northwestand theprovincial coordinator ofWildSafe BC, a program designed to reduce human-wildlife conflict.

It was clear to Ritcey the wolf hadcaughtthe bear's scent once itstartedtrotting towards the much larger creature.

"As the wolf gets closer you can see the bear start to tense up," said Ritcey.

When the wolf got too close for comfort, the bear charged it, warning the wolf to keep its distance.

Like The Jungle Book

But the wolf was not deterred andtried a different tactic.

"The wolfcircles around and is walking along side of the bear now, just like something out of TheJungle Book," said Ritcey.

"But I know that isn'tThe Jungle Book down there, it's real nature, and wolves do eat bears."

Normally, wolves in large packs attack bears, surrounding and confusing the animal. This wolf felt it could do it on its own.

The wolf continuedto closely tail the bear, pushing its snout towardsthe bear's hind legs.

Ritcey believes the wolf was trying to attack the bear's hamstring muscles, in an attempt to immobilize it.

But the bear wheeled aroundmenacingly enoughto assert its dominance over the smaller creature.

The wolf, defeated, lopedoff into the forest in search of easier prey.

The bear, victorious, returned to perusing the Kamloopsgrassland.

"To be able to see it, and have the camera with me at the time. I was pretty stoked," said Ritcey

With files from North by Northwest