Bison carcass draws 5 grizzlies, wolves into photographer's view

The grizzly sow claims the carcass  from the boar.     Pete Bengeyfield photo

In almost 20 years of shooting photographs in Yellowstone National Park, Pete Bengeyfield had never seen anything quite like an interaction that played out about 400 yards away. Across the Lamar River near its intersection with Soda Butte Creek, a bison had died on the sagebrush-dotted prairie. Claiming the carcass was a large male grizzly bear — called a boar. As the boar ate, five wolves from the Junction Butte wolf pack circled, waiting for an opportunity to dash in for a stray morsel of flesh to satisfy their own hunger. On the edges, crows, ravens and magpies stood and flitted, awaiting their chance to clean up. This scene in itself was impressive, but what really made the show extraordinary was when a sow grizzly and her three cubs ambled in. It was a predator-scavenger menagerie. “The behavior was phenomenal for three days,” Bengeyfield said. “I’ve never seen anything that interesting within camera range.” Bengeyfield’s series of photos show a variety of interesting interactions among the animals: four wolves laying around the carcass as the boar stands atop the bison as if to say, “Hey, this is my bison, you better stay back;” the sow and her cubs approaching and getting an ears-back glare from the boar and two wolves in a not-so-veiled threat that they didn’t want any more competition for the food; the sow standing atop the carcass in a cloud of dust, both bears with their mouths agape, as she claims the carcass while her cubs wait to the side; the sow, mouth opened as if roaring into the boar’s ear as his back is to the camera and she stands atop the carcass; the sow appearing ready to bite the big boar in the face as he pulls his head out of the way and growls back; the sow moving off the carcass to shoo off a snarling wolf; three wolves surrounding the three cubs, who are tightly grouped together; the sow coming to the rescue as a black wolf flees while looking back over its shoulder; the sow standing nose-to-nose with the black wolf, the cubs behind her and the black wolf backed up by two gray wolves — a Yellowstone standoff; the sow standing upright on its hind legs as it looks toward the photographer amid a gathering of crows, magpies, the cubs and one wolf. The interaction played out over three days, Sept. 15-17...more

Grizzly sow moves toward wolves to protect a cub    Pete Bengeyfield photo

 

 

 

 

Sow stands on her hind legs    Pete Bengeyfield photo

 

  There are more photos at the link provided.