photography – Syndication Server

Yellowstone coyote clearly visible, but can you spot the other critter?

Coyote in Yellowstone National Park is being closely watched by another mammal. Can you spot the critter in the image?

Editor’s note: This is a version of a post first published by For The Win Outdoors in 2023.

A bit of advice for anyone visiting Yellowstone National Park: While searching for wildlife, always take a moment to glance behind you.

It could be rewarding even if you’re already observing large animals.

The accompanying images show a coyote that I photographed in May 2023 while standing near a road with other tourists watching a cinnamon black bear and two cubs.

The bears were down a forested slope, perhaps 80 yards from the road. The coyote was behind us, on the opposite side of the road, passing virtually unnoticed about 40 yards away.

Yellowstone coyote being watched by mystery critter. Photo: ©Pete Thomas

I didn’t realize until that evening that a smaller critter was also in the image, watching the coyote. Can you spot and ID the critter? (Answer below.)

While coyotes aren’t high on many tourists’ spotting lists, I found it interesting that this coyote was on the move so close to people who were looking in the opposite direction.

ALSO: Tiger, cobra square off in rarely witnessed encounter; video

On the same trip, also in Yellowstone’s northern range, I was with perhaps 30 tourists watching another black bear descending a slope toward the road.

Cinnamon-colored black bear in Yellowstone National Park. Photo: ©Pete Thomas

People jockeyed for spots from which to observe or photograph the bruin.

Directly behind us, high atop a rocky peak, mountain goats maneuvered in and out of sight.

Yellowstone black bear and cubs during close roadside encounter. Photo: ©Pete Thomas

On a different day, I was surprised at close range, while outside my vehicle, by a momma bear and two cubs. Momma bear gave me the stink eye until I slowly backed away, when she and her cubs resumed grazing.

Yellowstone coyote being watched closely by a ground squirrel. Photo: ©Pete Thomas

My sightings log for three days: 14 individual bears, the coyote and ground squirrel (see photo above), the mountain goats, and dozens of pronghorn and bison.

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‘Cautious eyes’ focus on grizzly bear family in Yukon meadow

Momma grizzly bear and two large cubs have a wary audience in wild horses that appear ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble.

A trail camera in Canada’s Yukon Territory has captured an interesting scene involving a momma grizzly bear and two cubs being watched intently by wild horses.

“A beautiful grizzly family strolls along on a recent autumn morning as cautious eyes watch from afar,” David Troup of Yukon Wildlife Cams described Thursday via Facebook.

Viewers will note that the horses appear frozen into the landscape; they’re that wary of the bears and making a move that might prompt a predatory charge. (Click here if a video player does not appear below.)

https://www.facebook.com/yukonwildlifecams/videos/839394361509756

Troup told FTW Outdoors that his camera captured this scene Sept. 15 and added that he was not aware of grizzly bear predation involving this group of horses.

Grizzly bears will sometimes chase horses in the hope of catching a tired foal or causing a large horse to fall.

The scene captured by Troup’s camera is reminiscent of a dramatic scene captured by a trail-cam network in 2022 in Alberta, Canada, involving grizzly bears chasing horses that were clearly running for their lives.

Regarding that scene, the Help Alberta Wildies Society stated on Facebook: “The next time someone tells you that the Wild Horses have no natural predators, send them to me.

“We are losing a lot of horses this year, sooner and quicker than in past years. Not just the foals. Adults also.”

Epic shot of leaping tuna almost as good as photographer’s reaction

Footage shows a jubilant photographer as he realizes he has timed his shot of the approaching tuna perfectly.

Dramatic footage showing a giant tuna nearly leaping into a boat while chasing a bait is circulating this week via social media.

“Incredible capture by [Daniel Svensson Persson] of this bluefin fully launching itself right next to the boat⁠,” BD Outdoors exclaimed Wednesday via Instagram. (See video below.)

ALSO ON FTW OUTDOORS: Taxman comes calling after angler in Mexico hooks giant tuna

The footage is compelling because the tuna approaches like a missile and is only yards from the vessel when it leaps. But the highlight might be a jubilant Persson’s reaction while communicating to friends that he had just timed a perfect shot.

Check out the footage:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DAEi1oWixy1/

Can you spot the black bear peeking from the forest?

The images were captured by a USFWS employee in central Washington. Hint: Not all black bears have black fur.

Can you spot the black bear peeking from the forest in the Pacific Northwest?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service asked a similar question Monday via social media and provided the main image and a second image showing a portion of the bear in a different location.

We’ve provided both images below, with the answer circled at the bottom of this post.

“In the Pacific Northwest, fish hatchery employees are accustomed to wildlife encounters, including black bears,” the USFWS post states. “These photos were taken during a hike earlier this summer to check on water levels above Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery, in the mountains of central Washington.”

Hint: Not all black bears have black fur, which appears evident in both of Mathew Maxey’s images.

Second image provided by USFWS Pacific Region

Viewers can click here to view the USFWS post. You might discover that I guessed the correct answer in the comments.

I’m also providing the answer in the image posted below.

Trail-cam footage shows bears ‘foreplaying’ in Yukon forest

The cinnamon-colored black bear seemed the more passive of the two, but is shown pouncing on the darker bear directly in front of the camera.

A trail camera in Canada’s Yukon Territory has captured a what appears to have been a playful moment between two black bears on a remote forest trail.

The footage, shared recently by Yukon Wildlife Cams, involves fairly large black bears, one of them cinnamon-colored.

The darker bear seems to be putting the moves on the lighter bear at the outset. But at 20 seconds, as the darker bear begins to continue down the trail, the lighter bear pounces from behind.

This interaction occurs directly in front of the camera.

David Troup, who positions and monitors a network of cameras in the Yukon wilderness, stated in his description:

“In just a ten hour window in mid-June, a pair of differently colored black bears playing, or foreplaying, a nighttime lynx, and an early morning moose visited this site.”

The lynx and moose are shown after the bear scuffle.

Get up close and personal with African animals in these stunning photos

See these creatures up close.

“Among the Living: Where You Belong” is one of the heaviest books I’ve ever picked up. This is not a vacation read — it’s a serious photo book you’ll want to display on your coffee table for years, thumbing through and sharing with wildlife-loving visitors. Photographer Guadalupe Laiz shares six years of traveling in Africa to capture intimate portraits of endangered animals.

Laiz is firmly allied with the elephants, lions, and rhinos. The book is dedicated to “the innumerable souls who have died at the hands of humans. And to all humans who fight with their lives to protect them.”

In the introduction, Laiz further explains what drives her to get close to her subjects. “Yes, I hope that one day we humans will finally see animals as our equals, and understand that they can experience joy and suffering just like us. But until then, I will dive deeper, get closer, and put light into those without a voice,” she writes.

A lion laying down and facing forward in black and white. — *Photo by Guadalupe Laiz*

What follows is a huge collection of African animal portraits. Most of the photos are up close, so you can see each animal’s face as an individual. Photos taken at a wider angle tend to show relationships — such as an image of an elephant herd where you can pick out individual family groupings. Readers see every fold in an elephant’s skin and the bristles around a hippopotamus’ wide-open mouth. Most photos are in black and white, though some are full-color. Others use limited color to highlight details like green leaves against an otherwise black-and-white composition. Many of the images have very dark or very light backgrounds, squarely keeping the focus on the faces of the animals in a way that gives them extra dignity and individuality.

African elephant herd in black and white. — *Photo by Guadalupe Laiz*

Laiz spent so much time in certain locales that she got to know some of the animals. One of these animals was a lion known as Bob, Jr., King of Serengeti, who had a fan following among guides and tourists. “There is no feeling like finding Bob Jr. in the morning and trying to understand what he went through the previous night. Sometimes I couldn’t believe the amount of ground he covered in one night. Some mornings there would be blood on his face, he’d look exhausted and be sporting a couple of new scars, but it was also clear that he was satisfied to have a full belly for a few days,” Laiz writes. She grew attached to the lion and often wondered what and how he was doing.

A gorilla amid greenery. — *Photo by Guadalupe Laiz*

The book is almost entirely photos, with a page of text introducing each section. The main animals Laiz features are gorillas, elephants, lions, giraffes, and rhinos — but some of my favorite photos are her portraits of leopards. Animals are so front and center that Laiz’s author photo shows her from behind, mostly giving readers a look at her ponytail.

A leopard sitting in a shady alcove. — *Photo by Guadalupe Laiz*

Laiz was born and raised in Argentina. German publisher Teneus published her book “Horses of Iceland” in 2019. Australian Images Publishing Group put out “Among the Living, Where You Belong.” If you’re in Aspen, Colorado, you can visit Laiz’s gallery space.

A lioness sleeping on a tree branch in black and white. — *Photo by Guadalupe Laiz*

Buffalo literally in spotlight while saving ‘friend’ from lion attack

Dramatic footage shows the precise moment that an African buffalo rushed in to save another buffalo from a lion attack.

Dramatic footage shared Thursday shows the compelling moment that an African buffalo rushed in to save another buffalo from a savage lion attack.

As viewers can see, the male lion has one buffalo by the throat in what appears to be a death grip until another buffalo rushes in to scatter the pride and force the male lion to release its grip and flee.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Latest Sightings – Kruger (@latestkruger)

As the hero buffalo enters frame, a spotlight, presumably from a safari vehicle, shines on the rescue and both buffaloes. The massive bovines remain stationary and perhaps stunned briefly before wandering off.

The footage was shared by Latest Sightings, which features content captured in South Africa’s Kruger National Park, and credited to Sara Zegut.

The video description: “Buffalo risks it all to save friend from lion’s death grip!”

Stunning new book invites you to witness the magic of wild horses

Experience the magic.

As an autistic child, Alfie Bowen had a rough time in his early schooling. The regular school system didn’t serve him well, and he suffered from bullying. But once he got into a specialist school and met his mentor, the late Duncan Rollo, he thrived. Rollo encouraged Bowen’s passion for photography, arranging his first exhibition and sharing publishing contacts. Now, Bowen has followed his 2021 book, “Wild World: Nature Through an Autistic Eye,” with a new photography book, “Wild Horses,” published by ACC Art Books.

Indeed, wild horses are what this book delivers. “Always staying at a safe and respectful distance and never approaching any of the animals, it has been my privilege to spend many magical hours over the past twenty-four months. witnessing and recording these horses and ponies thriving in nature: in the fields of Suffolk, on the mountains of North Wales and amongst the trees of the New Forest. In many ways, it has been as much a journey of self-healing and self-exploration as it has been about photographing the horses,” Bowen writes.

A black and white photo of three horses. — *Photo by Alfie Bowen*

The photos are astonishing in their composition, clarity, and depiction of the moving relationships between horses. There are sweet pictures of foals and moms, funny pictures of horses shaking off water, and dramatic photos of them rearing up on their hind legs as they play or fight with each other. In some shots, horses are nose to nose. In others, one horse will have their neck wrapped around another. Horses look right at Bowen through his camera in many pictures. The incredibly clear black and white photos show every knot in the horses’ tangled, wild manes.

A black and white photo of a group of horses. — *Photo by Alfie Bowen*

This book would be a great accomplishment for any photographer, but knowing Bowen’s back story adds extra meaning to the work. While Bowen has known many tribulations in his young life, his tone is uplifting.

A black and gray horse in a field of flowers. — *Photo by Alfie Bowen*

As he says, “My message to everyone I have met is to get out into nature, surround yourself with the wonderful flora and fauna that we share our planet with, and feel the sunshine on your back, and the wind blowing through your hair — it can transform you.”

Can you spot the predator stalking the great blue heron?

Texas photographer captures images of what he thought was simply a heron in flight, but the photos reveal an ambush in progress.

A photographer in Texas has unwittingly captured an extraordinary two-image sequence showing a great blue heron immediately before and after it was ambushed by a stealthy predator.

Can you spot and identify the predator in the image posted above and immediately below? (Answers will become evident as viewers read and scroll.)

Great blue heron takes final flight. Photo: ©Jacob Hall

Jacob Hall took the photos recently while exploring Canada Ranch near the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge with his grandfather, Bobby Hall, and Canada Ranch owner Leroy Ezer.

He told FTW Outdoors that he didn’t realize that such a raw scene had played out until later, while he inspected his images.

“The three of us were driving around, and then all of a sudden I noticed this great blue heron in the distance flying and quickly snapped two photos,” Hall said. “It wasn’t until after that I realized what I had just captured. “

The images were picked up by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which also quizzed followers and tweeted: “It can be hard for some of us to witness wildlife interactions like the one this photographer captured in coastal Texas, but it’s a key part of the way that our ecosystems work.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jacob Hall (@hallcam6)

The USFWS identified the predator in the same thread:

“The great blue heron eats small fish, frogs or mammals; the bobcat eats the great blue heron; and scavengers like black vultures clean up anything the bobcat leaves behind.”

Bobcat ready to pounce. Photo: ©Jacob Hall

Said Hall: “I didn’t know that the bobcat was there until after I took both photos. The second photo (bobcat attacking the heron) was taken within seconds of the first photo. I was just in the right place at the right time.”

Watch: Jilted African lion pretends not to care; ‘That’s life’

A wildlife photographer has captured footage showing a male lion shrugging off a snub from a lioness as though he were too much of a king to care.

Can a male lion feel jilted by a lioness? In a sense, perhaps.

The accompanying footage, captured by Yaron Schmid, shows an African lion anticipating affection from an approaching lioness, only to be ignored by the passing feline.

“Poor guy… just look at the disappointment on his face,” Schmid joked via Instagram.

That’s because the lion reveals no disappointment, instead holding his head high and gazing elsewhere as though pretending not to care.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Yaron Schmid (@yswildlifephotography)

Schmid, a photographer and safari guide, pounced on this theme. He added a fitting accompaniment from the legendary Frank Sinatra and clever text bubbles to enhance his post.

We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.