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Observation of predatory infanticide by a solitary female brown bear

Observation of predatory infanticide by a solitary female brown bear

The killing and consumption of young in ursids is usually carried out by unrelated males. Females also exhibit this behavior, but existing observations are limited to females with offspring. This report presents an observation of a solitary adult female brown bear (Ursus arctos), bear 175, killing and consuming a yearling in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada. The yearling, weaned by its mother, had followed bear 175 for several days before the incident. Following the infanticide, bear 175 consumed a large part of the carcass, including viscera, which are usually untouched by infanticidal females. I argue that bear 175's unusual behavior may have been caused by the extended proximity of the yearling, which may have triggered a predatory attack. In addition to furthering our understanding of infanticide and cannibalism in ursids, this observation raises the question of whether some past infanticides were committed by solitary females misidentified as adult males.