Yellowstone Grizzly Bear Sprints Away From Charging Animal In Rare Footage Captured By Guide
Andrea Powell
Grizzly bears are fierce predators who rarely back down to another animal. However, there are instances when the bear's survival instincts kick in and it realizes it is better to run than fight.
Bo Welden, a guide for Jackson Hole EcoTour Adventures, witnessed a rare moment during one of his tours and captured it on video. He took to Instagram to share the amazing footage and asked, "What animal do grown grizzly bears run from?"
Some of his followers guessed another grizzly bear, pack of wolves, wolverine, moose, and even "Big Foot", but they were all incorrect.
The video opens with a shot of a grizzly bear who suddenly takes off running at full speed. The next animal you see is a charging mama bison who is chasing after the bear.
Welden explained what occurred in the video. He wrote, "Bear chased…..? A mother bison showed this grizzly bear that he is not the biggest baddest beast on the landscape. It was truly AMAZING to be able to witness this role reversal while on tour with @jacksonholeecotours with guests! We were stunned to see this moment in real time."
There is nothing a mama bison wouldn't do to protect her calf, including risking her own life to chase off a predator.
Photo: NPS/Jim PeacoThe video has gone viral, and people couldn't resist commenting. One person was shocked by the speed of both large animals and wrote, "Wow! That is so amazing! Their speed is always mind blowing."
According to Yellowstone National Park's website, grizzly bears can reach speeds up to 40 mph and bison fall just behind at 30 mph.
Another viewer made a very wise observation, "If bears run from Bison you’d think the tourists at Yellowstone would stop trying to pet them 🤦🏼♀️".
Check out the video below and don't forget to share!
