Hunting Restrictions
John Muir commented that every time he saw a grizzly bear the wilderness got bigger.
Others faced with such an encounter might readily agree with the Scottish-born
American naturalist who explored large parts of the western United States. Yet today
predators are smaller than those of the past, and the reason seems to have something
to do with the speed of their prey.
Large predators gain tremendous benefits from being big. Killing other animals and
protecting or stealing a carcass from others tends to be easier since their teeth and
claws are larger. Handling struggling prey is safer as the larger predator has less
trouble holding the prey firmly and preventing it from striking out at the hunter's vital
organs. These attributes were even more important in the past since life was tougher for
predators then.
A new study, however, reveals that excessive size can interfere with predators' hunting.
Daniel MacNulty of the University of Minnesota and his colleagues have found that for
predators which need to run after their prey, being big can be more of a hindrance than
a help. Using a combination of radio-tags and direct observations, the researchers
analyzed ninety-four wolves as they hunted elk in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
They made a detailed record of their hunting and kills between 1995 and 2003. The
researchers reported in the Journal of Animal Ecology that although on the whole big
animals are indeed better at handling and killing prey, the largest wolves struggled in
the chase.

True or false
1. It is easier for big animals to steal a carcass from others since their teeth and
claws are larger.
2. Daniel MacNulty has determined that big predators that chase prey are at a
disadvantage.
3. Researchers examined the hunting patterns of wolves in Minnesota.
4. The researchers analyzed ninety-four wolves using only radio-tags.
5. To fulfill the research the scientists made a detailed record of wolves hunting
and kills between 1995 and 2000.
6. In the past predators had a more difficult time.