AvatarChristinaFlipboardIcon version of the Flipboard logo2 days agoWhite Wolfflickr.com - skipants60
AvatarChristinaFlipboardIcon version of the Flipboard logoYoung wolfflickr.com - V.C. WaldThis is one of the three or four members of Yellowstone's wild Wapiti Lake wolf pack that all look alike, with electric yellow eyes, a white chest patch, and very dark brown-to-black fur.The youngsters are a little lankier than the fully mature adults, and were certainly less confident when it was their turn to guard, and harass, the debilitated bison bull trapped along the shore of the Firehole River. I had been lucky get a seat on a snow coach that took us into Yellowstone National Park’s interior roads, groomed only for over-snow travel in the winter. About 15 miles into our dawn journey, three black wolves emerged from the woods. We debarked to watch them; as the sky lightened, they moseyed onto the bank of the Firehole River where it parallels the road, then walked across a shallow spot in the to join pack mates who, probably during the previous night, had trapped a debilitated bull bison in the shallow water. We spent the rest of the day observing the wolves – there were probably 10 or 12 altogether – and their interactions with each other and their work of wearing the bison down to the point where it would become an easy meal. We were not able to stay until the denouement, but by the following morning it was widely reported that the inevitable had happened and the wolves were finally reaping the rewards of their many hours of work. So why didn’t they just kill the bison as soon as they recognized it was an easy target? One possibility is that they had eaten recently, reducing the urgency to eat again. Hunting even compromised large hoofed and horned prey is energy-expensive and very risky: one well-placed kick or a stab with a heavy, thick horn, can be deadly. But progressively depleting prey by not allowing it to rest, eat, drink, or let down its guard for a second, threatening it for hours upon hours, biting off bits of its flesh, and de-energizing it to the point where it could no longer defend itself, was good work for juvenile pack members. In fact the young wolves we first saw in the road, with their headlight-bright yellow eyes and the typical long, spiky hackles of juveniles, did a lot of that work under the supervision of experienced adults. It was a great training session for the pups and an opportunity for at least some of the senior wolves to relax while dinner was being prepped for them. All photographs in this series were taken with a long focal length lens at a distance sufficient to avoid disrupting the wolves’ behavior. Additionally, many of the images are cropped, which also makes it look like I was closer than I actually was. Although I selected many images in which the wolves appear to be looking at me, in fact most of them were looking at other wolves or at their prey and not at the human presence, which at times was substantial. Never approach wildlife. Yellowstone National Park regulations require a minimum of 100 yards from bears and wolves, and 25 yards be maintained from all other wildlife. Even if you’re farther than that, you know you’re too close if your presence causes animals or birds to change their behavior.
AvatarChristinaFlipboardIcon version of the Flipboard logoGray wolfflickr.com - V.C. WaldA member of the Wapiti Lake wild wolf pack, Yellowstone National Park. This wolf looks almost identical to wolf number 1331F, but this one has not been radio-collared. I had been lucky get a seat on a snow coach that took us into Yellowstone National Park’s interior roads, groomed only for over-snow travel in the winter. About 15 miles into our dawn journey, three black wolves emerged from the woods. We debarked to watch them; as the sky lightened, they moseyed onto the bank of the Firehole River where it parallels the road, then walked across a shallow spot in the to join pack mates who, probably during the previous night, had trapped a debilitated bull bison in the shallow water. We spent the rest of the day observing the wolves – there were probably 10 or 12 altogether – and their interactions with each other and their work of wearing the bison down to the point where it would become an easy meal. We were not able to stay until the denouement, but by the following morning it was widely reported that the inevitable had happened and the wolves were finally reaping the rewards of their many hours of work. So why didn’t they just kill the bison as soon as they recognized it was an easy target? One possibility is that they had eaten recently, reducing the urgency to eat again. Hunting even compromised large hoofed and horned prey is energy-expensive and very risky: one well-placed kick or a stab with a heavy, thick horn, can be deadly. But progressively depleting prey by not allowing it to rest, eat, drink, or let down its guard for a second, threatening it for hours upon hours, biting off bits of its flesh, and de-energizing it to the point where it could no longer defend itself, was good work for juvenile pack members. In fact the young wolves we first saw in the road, with their headlight-bright yellow eyes and the typical long, spiky hackles of juveniles, did a lot of that work under the supervision of experienced adults. It was a great training session for the pups and an opportunity for at least some of the senior wolves to relax while dinner was being prepped for them. All photographs in this series were taken with a long focal length lens at a distance sufficient to avoid disrupting the wolves’ behavior. Additionally, many of the images are cropped, which also makes it look like I was closer than I actually was. Although I selected many images in which the wolves appear to be looking at me, in fact most of them were looking at other wolves or at their prey and not at the human presence, which at times was substantial. Never approach wildlife. Yellowstone National Park regulations require a minimum of 300 feet from bears and wolves, and 25 yards be maintained from all other wildlife. Even if you’re farther than that, you know you’re too close if your presence causes animals or birds to change their behavior.
AvatarChristinaStoryboardThis video clearly illustrates the difference between coyotes and wolvesAvatarCurated byOutdoors.comWhen the two meet in the wild, there’s no mistaking which is which. Plus more wildlife videos to blow your mind.
AvatarChristinaAvatarAvatarWhy was a grizzly bear hanging out with a wolf pack?verified_publisherNational Geographic - Kiley PriceThe interspecies encounter, recorded in Yellowstone National Park, is likely due to one key factor. It was a snowy October day when Joshua Welter spotted the large gray wolf pack just south of the road in Wyoming’s Yellowstone National Park. However, these wolves had an intriguing visitor in their …