This bison herd said better luck next time to a pair of hungry wolves in Yellowstone National Park.
It only makes sense that this incredible video below took place in Yellowstone. There’s an estimated 5,400 bison that call the beautiful national park home, and around 120 wolves also reside in the same territory. That might not seem like a lot, but the Northern Rocky Mountain area only trails the Western Great Lakes area and the state of Alaska in wild wolf population.
Alaska’s numbers are estimated in the tens of thousands, in case you were wondering.
Though the wolves might be outnumbered in Yellowstone, the canines have been known to hunt down bison. That being said, they often need to form a pack and work together to take down just one of the big beasts. The only problem? As you might imagine, bison are rather tough creatures and can be quite challenging to bring down.
They might appear top heavy, but they’re hard to topple over… and they have herding strategies of their own.
It’s rather ironic that wolves have to band together to try and attack bison. Why do I say that? Well, bison herds do the exact same thing to play defense. The large, 2,000-pound creatures very much believe in “strength in numbers,” and there are countless videos out there of one bison being in trouble… only for a brigade of backup to rush in and scare off the predator.
The herd mentality always rings true when it comes to bison survival tactics in the wild.
In this video, which was taken in the Lamar Valley area of the park, the bison herd actually turned the tables on a pair of wolves that were stalking nearby. Instead of being back on their heels, the sizable animals took the fight to the wolves and chased them off as a group. Thanks to a guide from Jackson Hole EcoTours, there’s a breathtaking video of the encounter that we all get to enjoy.
The footage picks up with the wolves already in retreat as the rumbling herd assert their dominance (and their personal space). One of the Yellowstone wolves stays a lot farther in front of the group chasing them, while the other appears to keep looking back and trying to find a moment to strike. In case you were wondering… that moment never comes.
Simply put, the bison made it close to impossible for the canines to mount an attack as they ran together and stirred up dust in the Yellowstone National Park valley. Instead of staying still and bunching up together, the group of bison took their herd on the move, and it proved to be highly effective. It didn’t take long for the wolves to give up on their pursuit, and the bison to slow down their roll (yet still stick together).
As the old saying goes, sometimes the best defense is a good offense:
“A group of bison in the Lamar Valley of northern Yellowstone National Park decided the best defense is a good offense, chasing off a pair of passing wolves before they could get any ideas.”
