MOUNTAIN GOAT KILLS GRIZZLY BEAR WITH ITS HORNS
After being attacked by a female grizzly bear, a very fortunate mountain goat seems to have fought back, using its horns to impale the furry predator. Hikers discovered the body of the 70-kilogram grizzly (Ursus arctos horribilis) just off a popular Canadian hiking route on 4 September. Park rangers quickly airlifted the carcass away from the trail to make sure that it didn’t attract additional predators.
Officials initially weren’t sure what had killed the female grizzly, which appeared to have been stabbed by something around the neck and armpit. A necropsy was carried out on the remains, revealing a surprising culprit. “The necropsy subsequently confirmed that the wounds incurred before death were consistent with the size and shape of mountain goat horns,” David Laskin, a wildlife ecologist at Parks Canada, said.
The locations of the wounds suggest that the goat, as it was being attacked, was able to pierce the bear with its horns. “When grizzly bears attack, they tend to focus on the head, back of the neck and the shoulders of the prey, and it’s usually from above, so the defensive response of the mountain goat would be to protect itself using its sharp horns,” Laskin said. “I guess the mountain goat was successful in this instance and turned the tables on the grizzly.”