Guests on a Yellowstone National Park nature tour Saturday witnessed a dramatic predation attempt by wolves on a bison calf that escaped thanks to its larger herd mates.
The accompanying footage, featured on Facebook by Yellowstone Wolf Tracker, shows wolves from the Junction Butte Pack stalking and sprinting after a bison calf that exhibits remarkable speed and agility.
The pace is so frenetic that at one point the smaller bison is nearly trampled by adult bison as they maneuver in an attempt to fend off the wolves. Ultimately, the bison herd tightens ranks and the wolves have little choice but to abandon the hunt.
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Yellowstone Wolf Tracker wrote: “We had an exciting morning of wolf watching in Yellowstone today as several members of the Junction Butte Pack tried to take down a bison calf. After the adults ran them off they gave up the chase and went back to the rest of the pack.”
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The footage was captured by Yellowstone Wolf Tracker guide Michelle Holihan and we’ve included her Instagram post showing a shorter version of the chase.
Yellowstone is home to nearly 100 wolves, which prey on a variety of animals, including elk, deer, and bison. They’re most active at dawn and dusk.
The Junction Butte Pack resides in the northern portion of the park.
–Image courtesy of Michelle Holihan
