Even for the Arctic’s most cunning carnivores, surviving harsh winters often means taking down risky prey. This fight between a wolverine and reindeer was caught on film in northern Norway – and it’s one of the most dramatic we’ve seen.
Wolverines aren’t the indiscriminate killing machines they’re made out to be, but they’re certainly among the fiercest mammals in the animal kingdom. The opportunistic hunters typically feed on carrion, as well as smaller prey like rabbits and rodents – but as you can see here, they’re willing to risk their lives against more formidable adversaries when food is scarce.
The footage was shot by Nikolai Hagensen Eide who was travelling to a cabin in Inner Troms, near the Swedish border. Many commenters have asked why Eide stopped filming after a few minutes, and he explains that while he did watch the entire battle unfold, he wasn’t able to record its conclusion.
“We were lucky and were in the right place at the right time,” he wrote on YouTube. “But I left my DSLR camera at home. It was filmed with an iPhone SE. The clip ended because the phone ran out of storage.”
According to Eide, the reindeer managed to throw the wolverine six separate times, sustaining severe injuries to the face and neck in the process. Eventually, the fight proved too much for the attacker, who moved off into the surrounding bush. Despite this, Eide suspects the buck’s injuries were fatal, so it’s possible that the wolverine simply moved off to wait for its hard-earned meal to fall.