The rare observation of a common occurrence: East Pack kills a bull
moose
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2/12/06, Isle Royale. - Don Glaser, our pilot, had just picked me up from Lake LeSage, where I had spent the past several hours snowshoeing into a site where Chippewa Harbor Pack had killed a moose a few days before. I performed a necropsy and collected a few bones that we'd later study in more detail.
 
It was later in the day. I expected it would be a routine ending to a beautiful, but routine, day. Before flying back to Washington Harbor, our winter base, we would make one final check for the day on each of the packs. I'd expect to find each pack and record their locations and activity.
 
We flew upon East Pack just as they were crossing over to the west side of McCargo Cove. How bold. Two weeks ago, East Pack killed the alpha male of Chippewa Harbor Pack. Now, as they crossed to the West side of McCargo Cove, they would be in territory that usually belongs to Chippewa Harbor Pack.
 
I had been fortunate enough to witness East Pack kill the alpha male of Chippewa Harbor Pack. It was the most dramatic wolf event I had ever observed. I expected it would be some time before witnessing anything like that again.
 
We didn't have much daylight left. So, we couldn't watch East Pack for too long and expect to find the other packs. After noting the direction of travel and number of wolves, I suggested to Don that we start looking for Chippewa Harbor Pack. As we were leaving the area, I noticed a bull moose feeding in a thinly forested area just ahead and upwind of the direction East Pack was traveling. Hmmm. Should we wait and see what happens. If we waited, we wouldn't find the other packs. Besides, I'd seen this many times: a pack of wolves tests or chases a moose and then nothing. The moose escapes and the wolves regroup.
 
Although I expected that today was going to be routine, nothing about Don Glaser's life is routine. He suggested that we wait and see what happens. I happily agreed, but expected nothing.
 
The moose was just about 200 yards ahead of East Pack.  A thick stand of cedars separate the wolves and the moose.  It took a few minutes for East Pack to arrive at the other side of the cedars, where the land was more sparsely cover in aspen.  Just as East Pack punched through a very thick stand of cedars, the wolves and moose saw each other. They were perhaps just 50 meters away from each other.
 
In an instant the moose spun around and fled. The wolves followed as quickly. When the wolves were at his heels, the moose stopped and spun around again to make a stand. The wolves skidded to a stop and then lurched back a few steps. Within another moment, wolves surrounded the moose. Wolves at the moose's rear lunged. The moose tried to turn and face each lunge. But every turn left some other wolf free to lunge. For a brief moment, there was a beak in the circle of wolves that enclosed the moose. The moose bolted for that opening, heading for the thick cedar stand from which the wolves first came. From there the moose might be able to protect his back side with a large tree or thicket of small trees. As the moose passed by one of the wolves, it lunged and bit deeply into the moose's right, hind quarter. Running through deep snow, the moose drug 80 pounds of wolf attached by the sharp, powerful points of its four canine teeth. With each forward lunge of the moose, the wolf was violently struck in the belly by the moose's rear leg.
 
After 20 meters, the moose broke free from the wolf and ran unhindered. The wolves pursued. The moose didn't quite make the edge of the thick cedar stand when the wolves caught up and one managed to bite and hang from its teeth on the moose's hind quarter. The moose slowed down considerably. A second wolf leapt and hung by its teeth to the moose's rear. Dragging 160 pounds of wolf caused to the moose to slow enough for the alpha male to run to the moose's front. It aimed to bite and weigh down the moose's nose. From this position, a wolf is relatively safe from being kicked by a front leg, and the moose is more easily brought down with wolves attached to both ends.
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Although the moose was stopped, it was still standing and still extremely dangerous. The alpha male waited and maneuvered to find a safe angle and timing of attack. The moose never gave such an opportunity, and the alpha never managed to grab the moose's nose. During this time, four wolves - 320 pounds - had grabbed the moose's rear end, causing his rear legs to collapse to the ground. Amazingly, the moose's front remained upright, and still no wolf could bite his nose. By means difficult to envision, the moose shook himself free from all four wolves and stood up. However, the moose remained surrounded by the eight wolves of East Pack. Some were focused and waiting for the right moment to attack, others milled around just waiting to feed.
 
After several minutes in this formation, one wolf attacked, then a second, third, and fourth. The moose's rear was brought to the ground once again, where it remained for several minutes. The pounded out snow had begun to turn pink and then red with the moose's blood. After a few minutes the moose managed to once again shake the wolves. This cycle of being brought half-down and then recovering repeated itself two more times. In the final cycle, 40 minutes after the wolves first chased the bull, his front end collapsed soon after the wolves had brought down the rear end. As the once powerful and magnificent body of this bull moose hit the ground, all eight wolves struck the moose and began tearing its flesh from all sides. From the ground he could no longer kick. For a few moments, the wolves fed while the moose was not quite dead.
 
At some unknown moment, the moose's spirit passed, and the spirit of the East Pack wolves was renewed. This miracle of live and death occurs several times a week on Isle Royale. Worldwide, more than 250 species live by the flesh of other warm-blooded animals. Except for plants and scavengers, all animals live from the living flesh of some other organism. In such a world, no day is routine. Only lack of awareness makes the day seem routine.