Animal Winter Games: Tusk Wrestling | National Geographic

in Arctic waters ice sheets Bob and
break against one another it’s the
setting for an unusual heavyweight
competition tusk wrestling the arena a
shrinking ice floe the contestants a
pack of Sun stars walruses the larger
males weigh up to 2,700 pounds and sport
tusks more than a foot long it’s a
contest of size stamina and as with all
sports the determination to win the
object is simple the last walrus on the
ice wins the gold medal and a chance to
bask in the golden rays of the Sun it
starts with a show of tusks a standard
opening tactic it scares off smaller
competitors a few cows and calves
scramble out the ice and into the water
but showmanship won’t win the fight
someone has to make the first push it’s
a scrum as every Tusker shoves his way
to the center two walruses plow into
each other each tries to push the other
one back
one gains a height advantage and jabs
with a tusk strike the scrum doesn’t let
up tusks stab left and right
who else look nasty but they only sting
every one of these cold weather sumo
wrestlers is protected by a hefty layer
of blubber an inch thick skin even so
the Tusk strikes make the point
running out of steam some walruses head
for food waters the field begins to
clear this tusk wrestler pushes off with
the flippers his opponent loses his
balance and down he goes
the last few contestants slipped into
the water only one remains on the ice
bloody tired he tastes the sweet air of
victory and the warm rays of the winter
Sun