This bison chilling in Yellowstone National Park could not be more unbothered.
March in Yellowstone National Park is still considered to be peak winter time, which means snow falls on the ground and stays there for long periods of time. In fact, the territory is often covered in snow from the late parts of October all the way to the early portions of May. It’s in the dead of the Yellowstone winter when bison appear to be frozen, and go viral. But no matter when the wintry precipitation hits, bison are smart enough to utilize the roads that are cleared throughout the park.
Luckily for bison, they’re basically built to handle the roughest parts of winter. One of the main things that helps the 2,000 pound beasts power through the cold weather is the bison’s wooly coat, which helps them stay warm and apparently creates such a thick layer of insulation that the snow landing on them doesn’t melt from the heat of their skin.
They’ve also evolved to only need a small amount of food during the winter months, and they usually get their nutrition through vegetation that’s far beneath the snow. Bison are able to discover and consume grass and other vegetation that lays dormant beneath the wintry precipitation.
Bison first plow their way through feet of snow, and then use their head as a makeshift shovel (or snow scraper, whichever you prefer). Doing so clears away the heaviest of the snow, and reveals the plant life beneath that bison can utilize to maximize their nutrition intake. It also brings a whole other meaning to “using your head.”
We don’t get to see this particular bison reaching its food source in the video below, but we do get a front row seat to the massive animal chowing and chilling. I guess you could call bison expert multitaskers? At the very least, this one in the video from GoodBullGuided is.
In the clip, a bull bison can be seen lounging on the side of the road at Yellowstone National Park. As it chills in the snow (both in the figurative and literal sense), it’s chewing on whatever vegetation it had found before it decided to pop a squat. The person coming by to take the video probably gets a little bit too close, which causes the bison to give some of the most judgmental side-eye you’ll ever see.
But fortunately for the individual (who appears to be inside a vehicle that’s driving past the animal), the bison just stays put and keep munching away. He’s having himself a day, and doing his best to stay warm with a little help from the asphalt. It didn’t look like anyone or anything was going to change that… though he was able to pass along a look that seemed to say:
“Hey… I’m eating here.”
The video has garnered a lot of attention online, and if we’re being honest, I may have just found my spirit animal. And I’m not saying bison in general. I’m only referring to this specific bull bison. I’ve never related to a wild animal more. Lounging? Snacking? Judging people as they go by? That’s a 3-for-3 perfect match in my book.
The post’s caption pointed out that the location for this bison’s snack time was a little peculiar, but at the end of the day, the horned beast can do whatever it pleases:
“Well that’s an interesting place to chew your dinner! This bull bison was looking pretty casual with the one hoof untucked and elbow lean.”
