Scavenging of a brown bear (Ursus arctos) on a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

Abstract

Cetacean carcasses stranded on coastlines can provide food resources for terrestrial predators. On 05 July 2024, a video shared on the media showed a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) carcass being carried by a brown bear (Ursus arctos) over the coastal rocks towards to the forest in Sinop, in the Black Sea region of Türkiye. This study is the first report of scavenging of a brown bear on a bottlenose dolphin with notes on its implications from a one health perspective. Our report suggests that the bottlenose dolphin carcass may provide an uncommon but potential food resource for brown bears along the Black Sea coastline.