A wildlife photographer in Yellowstone National Park was in the right place at the right time to capture video footage of a herd of elk being chased by a pack of wolves in a once-in-a-lifetime sighting.
Michael Sypniewski, who is also a wildlife tour guide, shared the “thrilling and absolutely tragic” video on his Instagram page, as reported by Field and Stream.
View this post on Instagram
“Sitting alone atop a rocky ridge, I watched a scene unfold that I am not sure I will ever see again,” Sypniewski wrote in his video description. “A pack of 20 or more wolves in pursuit of a herd of 300+ elk. This chase, unlike many for wolves, ended in success as they were able to bring down a young cow elk.”
One wolf managed to single out the young cow elk, which stumbled and allowed the wolf to get ahold of its hind leg. The wolf held on until reinforcements came to help take down the elk in a show of nature you don’t always get to see.
Commenters were amazed by the footage. Among the comments on Instagram:
“I mean, thrilling and absolutely tragic simultaneously?”
“Truly spectacular footage.”
“Fantastic video Michael!”
“Despite life being brutal, it’s amazing how well it balances itself out. Without natural predators many populations reach peaks with higher disease and sickness. Also, Lyme disease is transported by deer and you can see its impact on areas which predators were initially exterminated.”
“The circle of life is brutal… I’ll also never understand why prey animals are the cutest.”