Camera trap captures rare footage of wolves hunting European bison in Polish forest
Researchers in Poland's Białowieża Primaeval Forest captured video of a seven-wolf pack attacking a juvenile bison, with the calf's herd successfully defending it after a 20-minute confrontation. European bison were hunted to extinction in the early 1900s but have been reintroduced since the 1950s, with wolf populations also recovering across Europe in recent decades. The footage suggests wolves may prey on bison more frequently than previously documented, potentially helping regulate bison populations that some worry could damage habitats.
Researchers Robin Wijnands and Tomasz Borowik documented a pack of seven wolves hunting a herd of 11 European bison in September 2025 using a camera trap in Poland's Białowieża Primaeval Forest. The wolves targeted a newborn calf, biting and grabbing it by the neck twice during a 20-minute chase, but adult bison successfully defended the young animal by charging with their horns and surrounding it protectively. European bison were driven to extinction in nature by the early 20th century due to hunting and habitat loss, but conservation efforts have restored the population to approximately 9,000 individuals across scattered European populations since reintroduction began in the 1950s. Wolf populations have simultaneously increased by 58 percent over the past decade, yet documented cases of wolves hunting bison remain rare. Researchers suggest that if predation occurs more frequently than previously thought, it could help stabilize bison populations without causing steep declines, potentially addressing concerns about excessive bison numbers damaging habitats and farmland.
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Wolves seen hunting European bison in rare camera-trap recording
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