Never a dull moment in Yellowstone National Park.
Or Yellowstone the show, but that’s another story…
Spanning across Wyoming, Montana and into Idaho, Yellowstone National Park is home to some of the most incredible wildlife you’ll find anywhere in the United States. We’re talking bears, wolves, elk, deer, bison, pronghorn, as well as a ton of fish, birds, and reptiles.
Established in 1872, it’s the first national park in the United States and widely accepted as the first national park in the world. Some will argue however that Bogd Khan Uul National Park in Mongolia is the oldest. Oldest or not, if it’s not on your bucket list, you need to put it on there ASAP. No matter when you’re there, you’re pretty much guaranteed to see something incredible.
Whether it’s a bison stampede, a bear chasing an elk, a pack of wolves hunting… the place is just crawling with breathtaking wildlife experiences.
And sometimes, you don’t even have to be looking for it.
Matt Fluke of Idaho Falls, Idaho, was looking for a place to picnic with his family when the car behind him got smoked by an elk. Boom, right into the side of their SUV. Of course there is nothing special about hitting an elk with your car, just about anybody that’s every heard a country song has a deer a time or two. But this elk wasn’t just crossing the road, it was running for its life.
Yep, right after it slammed into the car and knocked itself out, a black wolf emerged from the trees, just seconds behind it.
“I didn’t look at my dashcam video until I got back to where we were staying at. Originally I thought it happened behind that car. We pulled over for a second and saw the elk on the road and the wolf with it.”
Naturally, they pulled over to watch nature take its course.
Wanna catch an elk? Just chase it into a moving car… chase is over.
“There was a turn out real close and lots of other cars stopping around there. You could see it from where we were at and the car that was behind me pulled over and then pulled out and went down the road… it was wild.”
Wild indeed.
Yellowstone Grizzly Bear Joins Wolf Pack On Elk Hunt, Steals The Kill
Work smarter, not harder.
In the wild, it’s first come first serve, survival of the fittest, only the strong survive, and most critters will go to extreme lengths to make sure they get fed. But… even in the wild, there’s such as thing as freeloaders, and I’m not talking about scavengers.
One particular grizzly bear at Yellowstone National Park came up with a genius idea to follow along a wolf pack in search of its prey. And no, the grizzly was not there to make friends.
According to The Hill, this grizzly was following the Junction Butte wolf pack as they were in the midst of an elk hunt back in October of 2021. The wolves tracked down an elk, and when they captured it, the grizzly made sure it wasn’t gonna leave hungry.
It jumped in and stole the carcass, taking home a nice meal. This “rare phenomenon” is known as kleptoparasitism, which is where one animal steals the resources of another animal/pack of animals.
The National Park Service (NPS) weighed in on the rare occurrence:
“This bear seems to have figured out that following the wolves in the morning will increase its chances of encountering a high-calorie meal.”
The NPS also said that wolves will typically yield for bears, because it puts their own safety at risk, knowing that they don’t stand much of a chance against the much larger creatures, and they simply wait their turn.
According to the NPS, it’s a rare occurrence because following a wolf pack around takes a lot of energy for the bear, but can be very rewarding, as an elk carcass is high in protein and fat, which is pivotal for hibernation.
“On the morning of October 21, 2021 visitors watching wildlife in Yellowstone’s northern range were amazed when they saw an adult grizzly bear seemingly hunting elk with the Junction Butte wolf pack. Wolves and bears typically compete with one another for prey, so why might this be happening?
Typically, wolves will yield to incoming bears. Since hunting is dangerous and often unsuccessful, it’s better for wolves to wait their turn at a carcass that has been usurped by a bear than it is for them to continue hunting.
From the bear’s perspective, it takes a lot of energy to follow a wolf pack around, but the reward is high if it successfully takes over a carcass. A fresh elk carcass is a wonderful source of fat and protein for a grizzly bear preparing for hibernation.
This bear seems to have figured out that following the wolves in the morning will increase its chances of encountering a high-calorie meal.”
Ever work on a group project where one dumbass doesn’t do any of the work, but still gets a good grade? This is nature’s version of that…
