Bears as Predators ~

[brotherbear]

Yellowstone Bears in the Wild by James C. Halfpenny.


On June 26, 2002, Yellowstone naturalist Nathan Varley along with Bob Landis and Joel Sartore, National Geographic videographer and photographer respectively, watched a female grizzly with two COY approach a lone bison and her calf. The calf appeared to be seven to eight weeks old.
The grizzly stared intently at the bison and her calf. The bear and her cubs ambled into some sagebrush where the bear suddenly picked up speed and headed down the slope to intersect the walking bison. The bison sped up but the bear cut them off.
Initially the mother bison was between her calf and the bear. When the bison turned to confront the grizzly, the bear went around her. The animals disappeared in a swale, and then the bear came out of the swale with the bison calf in its mouth and the mother bison in swift pursuit. The bear stopped to defend her catch. The mother bison circled and sort of bluff chraged, but she was not really trying to gore or trample the bear. Finally the bison started to eat grass about 20 yards away; this was obviously displacement behavior at not being able to get the grizzly to leave.
The bear fed on the calf for 15 minutes and the mother bison left. Then the bear covered the carcass with grass and sage. She found her cubs and togeter they disappeared into the woods. At dusk the entire family came to the carcass and fed. Reply