Wolf Trust Wolf Prey - Ungulates - Deer In Britain - Evading Wolves - Red & Roe Deer Summary Deer have good defences against wolves and are a tough quarry for wolves to bring down. Web Address www.wolftrust.org.uk Email Address Wolf Trust

Evading Wolves How Ungulates Evade Predators Wolves work hard to find their food and may have to fast for several days between meals. Ungulates are well designed to evade wolves. Most wolf attacks on them fail because ungulates rely on: Acute senses (for advance warning of attack) Alertness (to be ready for action) All round body condition (for fight or flight) Speed & endurance (to escape attack) Antlers & hooves (to strike when cornered) Well developed young (to run soon after birth) Herding (for safety in numbers) Cover & concealment (to escape notice)     Red deer herding & fallow deer in cover. See 'Herding & Concealment' below. Courtesy Deer Study and Resource Centre. (Use of these photographs does not imply support from the Deer Study Centre) for the reintroduction of wolves to the Scottish Highlands Running & Fighting Ungulates use speed, agility and stamina to evade predators on the run. In large bodied species, like red deer, a cornered individual can strike out with hooves or lunge with antlers in self-defence. Flailing sharp hooves smash wolf bones, pointed antlers stab wolf flesh - either way a careless wolf is dead or disabled. Excellent Senses Ungulates see well by night and day, olfaction is good and hearing is excellent - their ears can twist to locate the direction of sounds. Precocious Young Young are born well developed, being able to see, hear and stand. Mother deer leave their new-born offspring lying in cover when they go to feed - the young lie flat, motionless and quiet so as not to attract a predator. After a few days they can run. But horses can run with their mothers soon after birth. Herding & Concealment Large bodied species, like red deer, are more likely than small bodied species to live in open terrain. On exposed land deer can live in a herd, alert with many noses and pairs of eyes and ears to detect approaching predators. From an individual's point of view, the chance of being singled out and attacked is less when surrounded by many other deer. Small bodied species, like roe deer, may evade predators more by concealment. They tend more to live alone or in a small group in cover, like woodland. Should they live where there is no cover, they scatter and make themselves difficult to find by being few and far between over a large area. Page revised 6.02