8 seconds of a deadly battle: a camera trap captured a fight between a wolf and a lynx (7 photos)

Wolves and lynxes are predators that differ not only in size, but also in their way of life. However, due to their similar diet, their habitats often overlap. This means that conflicts of interest are possible, ending in fights between these two species of animals.





This is exactly the kind of fight that was recorded by camera traps in the Nalibokskaya Pushcha, a large forest area located in the central part of Belarus. The confrontation, in which two adult males participated, lasted 48 seconds, of which the fight itself was only 8 seconds. But how did it end, who won? More on that later...



That March evening, an adult male wolf was patrolling the borders of his hunting territory. Suddenly, he noticed a male lynx nearby. The wolf immediately assumed an aggressive pose, as if warning the intruder that he should get out of the way as quickly as possible.



However, judging by the fact that his rival also assumed a threatening look, it was clear that the cat was not going to run away at all and was ready to accept the fight. The tense wait, with both animals frozen in aggressive poses, head-on, lasted for 40 seconds. After both males realized that neither would give in, a brutal fight began.



The wolf was larger and most likely much stronger than its rival. However, the cat's natural flexibility and jumping ability, combined with its razor-sharp claws, did their job.



And after eight seconds the gray predator was lying on its back, and the lynx was furiously tearing at its belly. The wolf had no choice but to break free and run away. The lynx did not pursue the defeated beast. The big cat calmly disappeared into the forest thicket.



Six minutes later the wolf returned to the battle site. His right side was badly injured. The wounded animal looked around, sniffed and disappeared from sight again. The gray predator never appeared in this or any other place again. Vadim Sidorovich, a biologist working in the reserve, suggested that the animal most likely died from wounds or infection, since none of the nine camera traps subsequently recorded it. Previously, the wolf appeared in this area every day.

As for the lynx, it appeared at the scene of the fight the following night with the look of a winner. The cat's entire behavior indicated that it felt like the rightful owner here.



Biologists note that lynxes are cautious animals and usually do not risk confronting adult wolves. There are cases when cats attack wolf cubs or pregnant she-wolves. Sometimes, on the contrary, lynxes that hesitate become prey for gray predators. But for a lynx to be able to give a worthy rebuff to a large and healthy wolf and at the same time suffer practically nothing, such a finale of a fight is extremely rare and not typical for these predators.