Watch a Wolf Chase a Bear in Completely Normal Day in Alaska

Key Points:

• Food supplies are typically the focus of encounters between grizzly bears or black bears and wolves, otherwise there is mutual aversion.
• Bears can run at speeds up to 35 miles per hour; Wolves can sprint at speeds up to 36-38 miles per hour, but over extended distances go only about 5 miles per hour.
• In the video, it is hard to know if the wolf and bear are involved in a playful chase or if there is something more serious going on.

While many pet owners see cats and dogs as opposites, the two animals can get along quite well. When they play and chase each other around, it almost looks as if they’re siblings play-fighting. 

An individual filmed something similar in the wilderness of Alaska. What appears to be a young bear is running around a field, with another in the distance. Just seconds behind the running bear a wolf appears! It’s hard to tell if there’s anything sinister behind this interaction, but the two look as if they’re playing like cats and dogs. 

Bears and Wolves in Alaska

The fact that all three North American bear species thrive there is one factor that makes Alaska so unique. Brown/grizzly bears may be found from the arctic to the islands in southeast Alaska. Black bears inhabit most of Alaska’s forests. Alaska’s far northern and western tundra and pack ice are frequently inhabited by polar bears.

An approximated 7,000 to 11,000 wolves reside in Alaska. In Alaska, wolves have never been in danger or been declared endangered. Because of its feeding habits, wolves frequently come into confrontation with people, many of whom hunt large game animals.

In the past, grizzly bears, black bears, and gray wolves shared a major section of North America’s geographic area. Food supplies are typically the focus of encounters between the three species, otherwise, there is mutual aversion.

Speed, Play, and Competition

Clearly, that’s not the case in this new upload to Youtube. The brown bear is sprinting through the gorgeous green meadows of Alaska. The brown bear, often identified by its subspecies the grizzly bear, has the fastest forelegs. Bears can run at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour.

Although wolves are not recognized for their speed, they can sprint at speeds of 36 to 38 miles per hour when pursuing prey. Nevertheless, wolves are renowned for possessing a high level of endurance. They can run over extended distances at a speed of about 5 mph.

While we can see another bear in the distance in the field, it seems these two animals are playing one-on-one. If a single wolf were to attempt to take on a bear, it would likely lose its life. However, if a pack of wolves attacks a single bear, there would be a different outcome. 

We’ll also note that the person filming seems to be a relatively safe distance away from the interaction. They don’t appear to be nervous or scared of either animal.

What do you think? Is it a playful chase or something more sinister? Anything can happen in the wilderness of Alaska! 

Watch the Full Video Below:

Other Amazing Animal Videos You Might Like

If you were wondering what would happen if a pack of wolves were to face off with a bear, we have a video that provides one outcome to this exact scenario.

Yellowstone National Park is home to hundreds of animals, including 67 mammal species of which two are bear species. When one YouTube creator with a channel called “Tied to Nature” was in the park, he was on hand to witness and film an encounter between what first seemed to be two wolves and a grizzly bear.

As soon as the grizzly notices the wolves, it stands up on its hind legs to get a better view of them. Then the people watching the scene unfold are surprised to see the bear run directly toward the pair. However, it only takes a few seconds before the bear is surrounded by a pack of wolves, who begin to close in and attack. More wolves appear, outnumbering the bear and sending the message that this is their territory. While it tries to stand its ground for a while, the grizzly fails and is eventually chased off into the trees. While no blood was shed, an interaction like this between these two species is rare and makes for a fascinating video.