Intraspecific predation on a subadult brown bear in Greece

Intraspecific predation (cannibalism) in brown bears (Ursus arctos) is a behavior rarely documented, and it remains poorly understood. In April 2010 we documented the probable killing and partial consumption of a subadult female bear by a subadult male bear; both bears had been captured during a telemetry study in northern Greece. Intraspecific killing was supported by a match between the inter-canine distance of the male, fatal wounds on the female, and the absence of other bear tracks at the trap site; consumption of the subadult female by the subadult male was witnessed directly by the trapping team. This is the first reported case of probable intraspecific killing and predation of a subadult female by a subadult male brown bear. Though intraspecific predation appears to be a rare phenomenon, trapping teams should always strive to reduce the time an animal is captured in a trap, such as by using trap alarms.

• Author(s) Alexandros A. Karamanlidis and John J. Beecham and Christos Chatziioannou and Miguel de Gabriel Hernando and Konstantinos Grivas and Lambros Krambokoukis and Giorgos Papakostas
• Volume 26
• Issue 1
• Pages 7-10
• Publication Date 1 May 2015
• DOI 10.2192/ursus-d-15-00003.1
• File Size 291.15 KB
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