Goodbye Grizzly Bear!

October 26, 2007 at 07:24:14

What a time to have to change CF cards! I missed the push around the carcass to move the grizzly off, but just managed to get the final photos of the bear being chased into the woods!

Now maybe this bear was full, or just tired of defending this carcass against attacking wolves. In any event, off he scampers into the forest!

The last sighting of this bear before he is chased off. Time is 07:24:14, just 4 minutes and 14 seconds from when he showed up on the carcass. Not much time to enjoy a hearty breakfast!

And this ends one of the most amazing encounters of any wildlife I have ever been privileged to witness. These images have gone out to several of the wolf researchers in Yellowstone, but they are available to any others who might find them useful. So many of you fine folks who study and watch wolves have given so much to CT and I in our three years in the park that it is a pleasure to finally be able to give a little back. I will post a few more of the fun images of the pack feeding on this carcass and chasing ravens soon, I promise!

Of course these images are all the more poignant in that both the Hayden Pack alpha male and female, as well as several of their pups, were killed on October 30, 2007 by the Molly pack. This is certainly one of the last feeding events in the lives of these incredible wolves, only days before their deaths. I was in Antarctica when CT e-mailed me with the news of their deaths, and I can honestly say that the news affected me profoundly. What a moment in time...

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