I’m happy anytime I see wildlife. A fox pouncing in a snow covered meadow. Sometimes with a catch, sometimes coming up empty handed. A lone wolf in search of food. The first Red Dogs of spring, learning the ropes. A moose with her newborn calf. What a joy to watch how protective she is. I don’t just look, I observe their behavior. Camera in hand, I try to capture images that tell their story.
Many times I observe with binoculars or with the naked eye. Grateful to be in a place where the wildlife live free and their stories play right out in front of me. If you add up all the living creatures on this earth (humans, domestic animals, livestock), wildlife accounts for only 4% of the total. That is one of the reasons I feel so grateful to be in their presence. They are so magnificent and yet so few. Any sighting is a blessing.
The other day I was witness to an incredible story. As I was driving down the road, I observed a herd of elk on the hillside. It is not uncommon to see Elk here in Wyoming. There are thousands right now calling the Elk Refuge in Jackson home. They are preparing for the migration that will soon take place. I’m used to seeing hundreds of them together just grazing. Today, away from the refuge, there was something else going on.
It was clear that the elk on the hillside sensed danger. I pulled over to watch the story unfold. The bulls were leading the charge to bring the herd to a safer place. The herd was running! You could see the look of fear on their faces, but also a look of determination.
I knew there were grizzlies in the area (I saw three the day before). So I was pretty certain what was causing the elk to behave this way. I wasn’t certain if I was going to witness a take down. In the spring, a grizzly may prey on a young calf. But it is too early for newborns. This is a herd of adult and young adult elk. Based on the elks’ speed, I was pretty certain they would outrun the Grizzly.
The herd would run and then continue to look back to see if predators were in sight. At this point I just kept watching and was amazed at their determination. I knew something was causing them to sense danger, but as I scanned the hillside I saw nothing. A few cars drove by. But I remained alone on the roadside. I knew if I was patient, I would see the predator(s). I walked along the road, binoculars in hand and continued to observe. Nature – what a show these creatures were putting on. Although the elk were unaware of my presence and had no intention of being the center of attention. They were doing what prey needed to do to survive. Outrun their predator!
And today they did. I finally got a glimpse of what was causing the elk to behave the way they did. Three grizzlies making their way up the hillside in the direction of the elk. I waited another 30 minutes to see how this story would end. The elk went one way, the grizzlies another way. It was a mama bear with her two young cubs. Perhaps she realized this herd was strong and the bulls were too protective.
Perhaps she found another source of food beyond the ridge line where I could no longer observe them. What I do know is that I witnessed wildlife in their natural environment coming together to tell a story. I understand it is survival of the fittest in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The story today was a herd of elk sensing danger and sticking together to overcome any loss to the family. Their instinct to run kept them alive. Today.
The elk will face many more challenges in the future. And the bears will continue their plight to survive. And I will continue to spend time in nature watching these stories unfold. The funny thing is I was driving down the road in search of lunch! I guess the bears and I had something in common today!! ✌️🤎🐻
Wild Wild West 