An ice fisherman in Ontario, Canada, claims to have saved a coyote from attacking wolves by startling the larger predators with his snowmobile.
Ryan Thorburn told Michigan Live that he had just quit fishing when he spotted the coyote running from two wolves. His footage (posted below) shows one wolf in a high-speed pursuit on the snow, with the coyote galloping for its life.
“They ran right past me, the one right in front of me you see in the video, then the second wolf behind me,” Thorburn said. “The one behind me stopped and stared at me. It did frighten me because I don’t trust wolves. This was definitely a surreal experience.”
Thorburn, an ER nurse, said the wolves “did get the pounce on the coyote” before he used his snowmobile to distract the wolves, allowing the injured coyote to escape.
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“I spooked the wolves by slowly creeping around the corner. The wolves caught glimpse of me and ran away, and the coyote got up and ran the opposite way,” Thorburn told For The Win Outdoors.
According to multiple reports, wolves can run in bursts up to 38 mph, while coyotes have been clocked at 43 mph.
–Image courtesy of Ryan Thorburn