Cross-continental differences in patterns of predation: will naive moose in Scandinavia ever learn?

• Published in: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
• Main Authors: Sand, Håkan, Wikenros, Camilla, Wabakken, Petter, Liberg, Olof
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: The Royal Society 2006
• Subjects: Research Article; Alces alces; Canis lupus
• Online Access: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1560300; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16777732; https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2005.3447

Predation has been recognized as a major selective force in the evolution of behavioural characteristics of mammals. As a consequence of local predator extinction, prey may lose knowledge about natural predators but usually express behavioural adjustments after return of predators. Human harvest may replace natural predation but prey selection may differ from that of natural predators leading to a change in the behavioural response of prey. We show that hunting success (HS) of re-colonizing wolves (Canis lupus) on moose (Alces alces) in Scandinavia was higher than reported in North America, where moose have been continuously exposed to wolves and grizzly bears. We found no evidence that moose expressed behavioural adjustments that lowered the HS of wolves in territories that had been occupied by wolves for up to 21 years. Moose behaviour towards wolves and humans typically differs in Scandinavia compared to North America. We explain the differences found to be caused by variation in predation pressure by large carnivores and the rate, and mode, of human harvest during the twentieth century.