Yellowstone NP Grizzly

Grizzly Sighting!!!

Rangers, Yellowstone Association Institute and the B & B proprietor kept telling me that I needed to get out in the park at dawn or dusk if I wanted to see something other than bison or prong-horned antelope. They knew their park. On a bus tour on the evening of the 4th, the driver had us sing "I Want to See a Bear," a song he composed in the 1970's. Boy, did it deliver. We approached a crowd of cars, telephoto lenses and park rangers all indicating something big was around. Apparently, a young bison fell to a prey. It was unclear as to what made the kill, but the carcass was "possessed" by myriad of animals. Early in the morning, it hosted a pack of wolves. Later, a grizzly took over the feast. Upon our arrival, we were witnessing the second grizzly to benefit from the fallen bison. In the above picture, you are witnessing a satiated bear choosing to sleep by the carcass to stake a longer claim. The only time the creature moved was when it started to rain. It lumbered around looking for shelter only to realize it was stationed in the drizzle for a reason. It plopped back down on the banks of the river in front of the remains. Two bald eagles were hovering in the area and expert wolf trackers were setting up in anticipation of a pack making a move for the nutritional banquet. Don't let the lulled stature fool you, those yellow claws were quite intimidating.

I can't tell you how thrilled I was to have the chance to observe such a beast in its natural setting. It is hard to imagine such a life cycle and pecking order being a product of chance.