How do grizzly bears and wolves in Yellowstone National Park carry on when they don't think anyone is watching? Well, as these pictures show, they're not going after each other tooth and claw.
Nancy Ward, the park's acting chief of maintenance, was heading to Lake for a meeting back on May 4, before the park's interior roads were open for the public, when she spied a wolf and another animal in a snow-covered drainage.
As she continued on, she thought the other animal might be a bison struggling in the snow. With some time to spare, she turned around and headed back to where she had seen the animals. This is what she discovered:
There was a spot cleared right across the river from these two. Once I stopped I was able to look closely and saw the wolf was "playing" with a grizzly bear. I thought they might be attracted to a carcass, but there was no food around. The bear rolled on its back with its feet in the air. It also slid around the snow. The wolf stayed close, checking things out. The bear approached the wolf and they appeared to sniff around each other and on the ground. I had my camera so I took several pictures. They interacted for more than five minutes and then they both walked up the small drainage and out of sight. I don't know if that's a common type of encounter, but I doubt I will ever see it again!
Comments
Sir. Clearly you are no film student. Your cynicism is unwelcome, and unwanted. Take a moment from your bitter and drab life to enjoy a wonder of Nature. If you were to even casually examine the angles of the shadows, and the blending of them in one shot, you WOULD see, were you capable of perceiving (which I doubt) that these animals are, indeed, in close proximity. The reason for this is irrelevant to the occurence.
Maybe go out and see something wonderful, yourself, before you so glibly and negatively comment on the photos? Or, better yet, try for something better?
Amazing! two very intelligent creatures enjoying one anothers company. If you look at postures of both the wolf and bear you notice both in relaxed, comfortable states. The bear is going about his/her business with it's head down smelling for food. The wolf's tail is hanging loosely behind not showing a dominant nor a submissive state but rather just a relaxed situation. Wildlife is so interesting to watch and if more humans took the time to open their eye's to see and appreciate this kind of behavior this could become a better place for all creatures of the planet.
Matt for president.
Mr. Negative also forget to mention that Bears also follow wolves for feeding reasons. It is not uncommon to see a grizz hanging back while the wovles do the hunting and killing only to move in and steal the wolves food. We saw this several times in 08 by slough creek. Once on the slope to the right (as your facing) of the den and then again to the lower left. I miss Yellowstone!!!
Interesting to watch also how after summer cattle use was eliminated at Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge, the survival rate of new born Antelope crashed to less than 1%. I frequently watched coyotes teaming up to draw the doe away while it's partner moved in and killed the new born. The mother cows did quite well at defending their own and Antelope newborns running off predators. The Antelope also preferred the shorter new green growth after the tall rank grasses were grazed. The coyotes were quite thrilled and multiplied (go forth:).
Jon: How eloquently said! Naysayers and the"glibly" negative would do well to restrict their erroneous observations and opine on subjects they are well versed in, namely man, and leave nature alone.
Those that have spent most of their lives in and a part of nature instead of English Lit/Grammar/Environmental Agenda Based Liberal learning institutions would know that the facts/observations posted by Choices are true and correct realities, all be it inconvenient and disconcerting to the new age environmentalism/industry (apparently).
Sorry Lisula, truth is stranger than fiction for some. If you're referring to what I posted directly before your post. Nature is nature (including us) no matter how we try to believe we're "above it all."