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For many animals, an actual fight is something that should be avoided as much as possible. In the wild, even minor wounds can become infected and lead to serious problems.
However, conflict is inevitable in some situations. This footage of two elk in Yellowstone National Park shows these majestic animals as they face off and decide if the fight is worth it.
There are several reasons elk might fight each other, but the rut is usually the cause. Their breeding season, in the fall, sees males become more aggressive as they seek to secure their place in the elk social order and earn their right to breed.
Keeping A Wary Eye On The Competition
The successful elk will build a harem of females to mate with, while those that fail will maintain their solitary lifestyle and hope for better luck next year.
It’s important for bulls to maintain a certain image during the rut to be more appealing to females, and in the footage, it appears that there’s one elk intruding on another’s territory, seeking to assert dominance over him.
The intruder displays behaviours aimed at challenging the defender, such as threshing the long grasses with his antlers. Other behaviors to establish and maintain dominance include bugling and posturing.
Important Posturing
While neither of these elk seemed inclined to bugle, both are trying their best to appear unbothered and unimpressed, despite keeping a close eye on each other’s position and movements.
To avoid a physical fight and potential wounds, this posturing is an important part of the game. Scaring away an opponent is always preferable to fighting them into submission.
If the defender can maintain his strong and solid demeanor, then the intruder will likely decide that this fight isn’t worth his time and leave to try his luck somewhere else.
Getting Too Close For Comfort
After posturing and steadily drawing closer, the defending male made the decision that this intruder had gotten too close and needed to be shown his proper place in the hierarchy.
Finally, having had a good look at his opponent, the defender charged at him. This was a calculated risk, as the intruder could have stood his ground and then they would have had a serious fight on their hands.
When it comes to that stage, elk use their large antlers in an attempt to overpower each other, and sometimes even mortally wound each other. The intruder sacrifices any chance he had at dominance by avoiding this escalation and fleeing.
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The Rightful Order Established
With the threat of an actual fight now gone, the defender can relax knowing that he has successfully defended the boundaries of his territory. He didn’t let his guard down right away and kept an eye on the challenger as he watched him back to the treeline.
If the defender can keep this up, he’s on track to have a successful breeding season, while the defeated male will have to try his luck somewhere else, or accept that it’s just not going to be his year and try again next time.
