Two of the most incredible predators living in Yellowstone National Park are the gray wolf and the grizzly bear. These two animals are very different by nature, but strike fear in the parks' deer, elk, and bison populations. Once in a blue moon the two will cross paths with each other, which often results in a special kind of showdown, as we see in the following video. In this particular clip, a grizzly has spotted a large pack of wolves nearby, a sure indicator that a meal is up for grabs. As is so often the case, hunger and curiosity become a top priority for the bear, and it ignores the imminent danger awaiting. In the blink of an eye, we see the wolves go on the defensive.
What follows is a spectacular sight straight out of a nature documentary. The bear moves in and briefly stands on its hind legs. However, as quickly as it arrives, the wolves circle the bear. What follows is a short scrap where the wolves keep snapping at the big bruin. The bear must keep its head on a swivel to keep from getting overwhelmed in what quickly becomes a numbers game as more wolves arrive on the scene to defend their turf.
We lost count of the number of wolves in this pack, but we are guessing it was at least 20 against one here. Clearly, the bear realized this wasn't going to be a fair fight and made the wise choice to retreat from the area. It isn't uncommon for animals to underestimate the strength wolves have in numbers, especially when they blend into their surroundings as well as these wolves blended into the grass along the hillside. We never do see what it was that drew the bear to the scene in the first place—perhaps it was just seeing a pack of wolves in itself—but more than likely the bear smelled something the wolves had just killed. Grizzly bears may be fierce predators at times, but they are also shameless scavengers when their food situation is dire.
Bear-wolf encounters are not uncommon in Yellowstone. We have seen battles between these animals before where the bear came out on top. The bears get a little more defensive when the tables are turned, and the wolves try to steal from him. In any case, this video serves as another example of how wild and untamed our first National Park can be at times.
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