As we get into the heart of summer, many young animals born in the spring are especially vulnerable to predation from bears, wolves, mountain lions, and more in forests across North America. Two young moose calves make for a tempting morsel for a grizzly bear that's looking to fatten up as much as possible in the warm months. However, hell hath no fury like a cow moose scorned, as some recently viral video taken in Glacier National Park in Montana shows. This footage was taken near Glacier Hotel back in May when some tourists noticed a cow moose had just given birth right outside the hotel. It didn't take long for a grizzly bear to pick up on the scent and to try and make a play for the two young moose.
In this short, three-minute clip, the grizzly gets within a few yards of the moose as she stands in a shallow lake with her calves. Watch closely how she pins her ears back and the hairs on her back bristle at the presence of the huge predator. The moose is in a heavy defensive mode. When the grizzly decides to try and make a move for one of the calves, the cow springs into action, scaring the grizzly off. The determined bruin doesn't fully leave the area until the mother leaves the water and charges, sending the bruin scrambling for the nearby woods.
Grizzly bears are extremely dangerous animals to encounter in the woods, but so is a mother moose with calves. As clumsy as these animals might look with those long lanky legs, they are packed with pure muscle. The bear wasn't dumb. It knew that just one kick could potentially break a jaw or take out an eye, threatening the bruin's chances of survival. Bears do prey upon moose, but they will seldom take on a full-grown and healthy adult if they can avoid it.
In this case, it seems the cow was successful in at least thwarting the bear's stalking momentarily. However, it seems the bear did not fully leave the area. Odds are, it will try again, hoping to catch the mother off guard long enough that it can swoop in and snag one of the calves before she knows what's happening. It may be brutal and sad, but that is nature in action. Based on her performance here though, we think there's a good chance of this cow's calves surviving to adulthood. We wouldn't want to make this moose angry!
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