Snow and yearlings on an elk calf

[RikWriter]

There's nothing quite so haunting as the pitiful bleating of an elk calf that is being eaten alive by grizzlies. I'd heard it before, but for some reason, it hit me harder yesterday morning. The grizzly sow known locally as Snow and her two yearling cubs caught and ate the calf on the road to Lake Butte Overlook in Yellowstone yesterday morning. By the time I arrived, they had the calf but she wasn't dead yet. That changed in a few minutes.



















The elk cow still stood at the top of the hill, perhaps not understanding what had happened to her calf, or perhaps in their own version of mourning.







Then Snow's younger sister, known locally as Jam, only about 4.5 years old, began nosing around looking for a handout.

















But Snow has cubs to feed and told little sis to scram.

[karenandbill]

Cool that you got to see Snow, cubs, and Jam all together. We haven't been out east yet this spring, but you are inspiring us to go that way.

It is with mixed feelings that we witness up close the predator/prey encounters. A few years ago we were driving into Mammoth from the east and saw a pair of grizzlies going after elk calves in a large herd. The calves were already dead we believe when we got there, but the mournful cries from the mothers were heartbreaking. It was unlike any other sound we had ever heard before or since.

--Bill