Wolves Are Stealing Cougar Kills in Yellowstone — And the Big Cats Are Quietly Changing Their Hunting Strategy

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• cougar have changed their prey selection arrive Reduce interactions with gray wolves In Yellowstone National Park.

• Big Big Wolf have kill cougar Predation of game animals in Yellowstone over the past decade.

• Big Big Wolf There is one Advantages over Cougar because of them hunting in packs Rather than acting alone like a mountain lion.

• this Shifts in prey selection allowed Mountain lions and gray wolves coexist In Yellowstone.

Not only are gray wolves and cougars icons of the Yellowstone National Park landscape, they also play an important role in the overall health of the ecosystem. Since both are apex predators, there is competition for food sources. As a result, wolves stole cougar prey in Yellowstone. To combat this problem, big cats have been quietly changing their hunting strategies. This reduces interactions between the two species, suggesting that wolves and cougars can coexist in national parks, at least for now.

Gray wolves are poaching cougars in Yellowstone

Wolves and mountain lions are the top predators in their environment. When both live in the same ecosystem, questions arise about whether available prey can sustain both populations. It turns out that both species can thrive, but one of them has to make concessions to make it happen.

According to published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciencescougars and gray wolves can coexist in Yellowstone National Park with the prey they provide. This is not because the two predators live in different areas of the national park. Instead, mountain lions must adapt and change their hunting strategies to avoid unnecessary interactions with wolves.

Research points to mountain lions changing their prey as a key factor in their survival. Wolves are more likely to take prey from other predators, whereas cougars have no such tendency. So, to prevent wolves from stealing their hard-earned prey, cougars began targeting smaller prey that they could eat quickly. By the time the mountain lions are full, they are long gone. This allows the wolves to pick up what’s left, if they choose to do so.

How do mountain lions adapt to wolves stealing their prey?

Over the course of the nine-year study, both wolves and mountain lions changed their preferred prey. Between 1998 and 2005, both apex predators selected elk as their primary prey. Over the course of studies of both animals, this changed, but for different reasons.

Elk populations have declined dramatically since gray wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park. There were 20,000 elk in the mid-1990s; today there are about 8,000. The population decline is partly due to wolves. However, climate change and habitat degradation have also contributed to the decline of elk numbers. As a result, gray wolves began targeting bison, whose numbers have increased in recent years.

As social animals, gray wolves can separate bison from their herds, making them easy prey. The same cannot be said for the Cougars. Although cougars also preyed heavily on elk before 2005, deer appear to be the prey of choice today. There are several reasons for this. Elk are declining, but deer are not. Deer have become a more reliable source of prey. But more importantly, deer are smaller. Deer can be eaten faster, and wolves have less chance of eating their prey and chasing mountain lions.

Research shows that between 1998 and 2005, the proportion of bison killed by wolves increased from 1% to 10%, while that of elk increased from 95% to 63%, compared with 2016 to 2024. Eighty percent of mountain lions’ diet once consisted of elk, but in recent years this proportion has decreased to 52 percent. The proportion of deer as prey increased from 15% to 42%.

Mountain lions have learned that as wolf populations increase, they need to become smarter hunters. While cougars may not be keen on scavenging carrion, wolves are, and will chase away other predators in order to scavenge.

Cougar attacked by wolves in Yellowstone Park

Mountain lions and wolves are both apex predators in Yellowstone National Park. Still, the conflict between the two shows that one species emerges victorious. Studies show that mountain lions did not kill any wolves, but the wolves did kill the mountain lions.

Between 2016 and 2024, 12 mountain lions died in Yellowstone. These cougars are adults. Of the fatalities, two were due to conflicts with wolves. In both cases, the mountain lions cannot escape the danger of being cornered by the wolves.

Interestingly, studies indicate that cougars are not eaten by wolves. Wolves are more interested in cougar prey. So if cougars have an escape route, it’s entirely possible for them to abandon their prey and survive another day.

The reason cougars are killed by wolves rather than wolves by cougars is because wolves are pack animals. Mountain lions tend to be solitary. So, while mountain lions are apex predators, they are at a disadvantage compared to wolves. The Wolves are superior in numbers and usually have the upper hand in battles with the Cougars.

Can cougars and wolves coexist in Yellowstone?

Gray wolves and cougars may have had more than two encounters in Yellowstone in the past decade. However, these two are the only encounters that scientists are aware of, as both cougars were killed. This suggests it’s possible for cougars and wolves to coexist in Yellowstone National Park, with both working to control the ecosystems in which they live.

As the study points out, mountain lions have adapted to avoid wolves by preying on smaller ungulates. In wolf-cougar interactions, wolves overwhelmingly entered cougar kill sites. This occurred at 42 percent of sites where cougars killed prey, compared with only one site where wolves successfully killed prey.

This adaptation allows cougars and wolves to coexist, although cougars make greater sacrifices to survive. But due to different prey choices, Yellowstone has enough territory for cougars and wolves to live together with little conflict unless the wolves choose to scavenge.

Yellowstone’s cougars and wolves have been hunted almost to extinction

The presence of cougars and wolves in Yellowstone National Park is a feat in itself. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, campaigns were launched to eliminate both species from the areas they historically occupied. Unfortunately for both species, these activities are highly effective.

Beginning in the 1960s, cougars were finally protected by states. However, the damage has already been done to one subspecies. Eastern cougars became extinct.

Today, Yellowstone’s cougars are doing pretty well. Up to 100 big cats roam the park year-round. Of those cougars, about 45 are full-time residents. But since they prefer popular areas away from national parks, they are rarely seen.

Wolves were on the verge of extinction until restoration efforts were implemented in the 1970s. Wolves were reintroduced to areas where they once lived. They eventually began to expand their territories and create small groups. Once protected under the Endangered Species Act, it is believed that gray wolf populations will continue to grow. The bill does not fully protect gray wolves. Instead, they are protected by individual states. Now that gray wolves are considered recovered, the House of Representatives has passed a bill to no longer list gray wolves as an endangered species. The bill has yet to go to the Senate for final approval.

The difference between cougar and wolf populations in and around Yellowstone is that cougar populations remain stable. Wolf populations continue to decline. Between 2024 and 2025, the number of wolves has dropped alarmingly from 123 to 90. After decades of efforts to increase wolf numbers since they were reintroduced to national parks in the mid-1990s, scientists are worried about the future of wolves. If they can’t be protected within Yellowstone, how can they be protected outside the national park boundaries?

Today’s threats to wolves and mountain lions

While both wolves and cougars are protected within the boundaries of Yellowstone National Park, that doesn’t mean they’re immune from threats. Many times, apex predators face few, if any, threats. However, these animals still have to fight for survival.

Threats to cougars living in Yellowstone include:

• Can be legally hunted in Wyoming, Idaho and Montana, raising concerns cougars will be targeted outside Yellowstone borders

• Compete with large predators for prey or territory

• Injuries caused by ungulates while hunting

In addition to the fact that cougars are never completely safe in and around Yellowstone, neither are wolves. The greatest threats to wolves living in Yellowstone include:

• When wolves roam outside Yellowstone, they are specifically targeted whether they are collared or not

• Compete with other predators in national parks for prey

Yellowstone National Park is a refuge for these predators, which were once completely wiped out not only from the region but from the United States. Despite political pressure to end protections for wolves and mountain lions, they play a vital role in the ecosystems in which they live. Without them, ungulate populations would spiral out of control. Deer, moose and elk will live in far less healthy habitats. Therefore, wolves and cougars are necessary to maintain the balance in a place like Yellowstone National Park. They should not be feared but respected and allowed to roam as they did more than a century ago.

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