Up close and personal with a wild black bear at Yellowstone.  Yellowstone national park is home to 67 different mammal species, including 2 types of bears: Grizzly and black

The Yellowstone photos collection lists all these species that reside there:  Badger, bat, beaver, bighorn sheep, bison, black bear, bobcat and lynx, chipmunk, cottontail rabbit, coyote, deer, domestic dog, elk, flying squirrels, fox, grizzly bear, ground squirrel, hare & jackrabbit, marmot, mice, moose, mountain goat, mountain lion, muskrat, other rodents, otter, pika, pine martin, pocket gopher, porcupine, prairie dog, pronghorn antelope, skunk, tree squirrels, voles, weasels, minks, ferrets, wolverines and wolves!

A herd of bisons. As big and slow as they look, a bison can run three times faster than a human when charging. So keep your distance and stay in your car – is the advice the park rangers give.

A cautious Yellowstone wolf.

A black bear cub is searching for yummy ants and grubs, and so it diggs into the old log in search for them.

A Bull elk making itself heard in the Gibbon Meadow. Although these are beautiful animals, trip planners warn visitors to yellowstone to keep a safe 25 yard (23 meter) distance from any animal, and 100 yards (91 meters) from bears and wolves. Keep that in mind if you plan on visiting!

This elk calf is only half an hour old, Mammoth hot springs.

A grizzly bear watches near the Swan Lake Flats. According to NPS warnings: “If The Bear Stands up on Two Legs:

Some people mistakenly believe that when a bear rears up onto two legs that the bear is about to charge, that rearing up on two legs is an aggressive posture that means the bear is going to attack (people have learned this from Hollywood Movies), THIS IS NOT TRUE! When a bear stands up on two legs it is trying to gather more information about what you are and what your intentions are.Bears gather this information through a combination of scent, sight, and sound.

Standing up on two legs improves the bears ability to gather sight and scent information. This is a good time to start backing away, talking to the bear in a calm voice, and letting the bear know that you are a person and that you mean no harm to the bear or its cubs.” Good advice

A leopold wolf is following a grizzly bear. Probably not a great decision…

A beautiful red fox in Lamar valley.

A black wolf in the snow of Lamar valley. There were no wolves in Yellowstone park before 1995, when they reintroduced and luckily thrived there. Today there are over 300 wolves, their descendents, living in Yellowstone.

A bull moose in the morning fog.

A mountain lion picking its way carefully down the rock. The mountain lion, also called the cougar, is the largest member of the cat family living in Yellowstone. Mountain lions can weigh up to 200 pounds (~90 kg), although lions in Yellowstone are thought to range between 140 and 160 pounds (~65 and ~70 kg) for males and around 100 pounds (45 kg) for females.

 

Two to three kittens may be born at any time of year, although most arrive in summer and fall. For reasons that are not clear, only about 50 percent of kittens survive their first year. The current population of lions in Yellowstone is estimated to be 18-24 animals and is thought to be increasing.

The 68th mammal in yellowstone are the nature photographers. This group has been waiting since dawn for a badger to show up. Nature photography, some say, is 5% luck, 5% skill, and 95% patience.

No this mammoth ground squirrel wasn’t yawning, its known as the ‘screeching’ ground squirrel. They only live in the states surrounding yellowstone, screeching in warning to their group members.

A beautiful coyote. This animal has a bad name but is truly a stunning animal which is not unlike the fox.

A bold eagle stands over the Yellowstone River. According to wikipedia: “Since the creation of the park in 1872, 318 species of birds have been documented within its boundaries. Although Yellowstone is not a birding mecca because of its high altitude and cold winters, it is home to a variety of interesting bird species that attract visitor attention every year. The park has a good resident population of Bald Eagles, Trumpeter Swans, Common Loons, Ospreys, American White Pelicans, and Sandhill Cranes.”

A trumpeter swan, so called for their tooting sound, unfolds its large wings.

4 cubs of a single grizzly family. This is a very rare number of cubs born to one pregnancy, and is only the 3rd documented time in the history of the park.

Seven native ungulate species live in Yellowstone: elk, mule deer, bison, moose, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, and white-tailed deer.

Plains bison during the winter at Yellowstone. The yellowstone bison population numbers between 2300-4500 individuals. Important fact: Bison actually harm more people every year in Yellowstone than bears do. People don’t keep their distance from the peaceful looking bison, and end up getting charged by the angry beasts.

A wolf watches biologists come to visit after being captured and collard with a radio transmitter. These collars give biologists a chance to understand how the wolf population is doing, since it’s incredibly hard to capture them, and they are masters at hiding.

A stampede of 40 wild horses running from one meadow to the next. Most wild horses groups have one horse leader that determined where they go.

Visitors to Yellowstone must understand that these are wild animals, not accustomed to humans like safari animals might. A good way to judge, says the rangers, is that if your presence affects the behavior of the animals in any way – that’s too close.

When a 2,000 pound buffalo wants to walk on the road, they’ll walk on the road. Especially when they’re in a group. Drivers have to be extra careful because they have been known to charge at cars, which to them may look like big, scary animals. Although they will mostly ignore them.

A grizzly bear looking for food in a flowery field. Always know ‘bear protocol’ before going in the park, says the park service, this can save your life in some cases.

A rarely seen wolvering. Wolverines, like the lynx, need large territories and will defend them with great enthusiasm.

A mountain goat under ‘Cutoff Peak’. The mountain goats are not native to this area but have colonized the northen parts of the park after being introduced to the environnment.

Big horn sheep. The herd living on the Northern range of Yellowstone number about 200 animals, and can be seen crodding between their favorite cliffs to the river where they drink.

American badgers. The badger is a small mammal but known to be fierce and actually dangerous when defending territory or their cubs. Never approach a badger, they look cute, but they can really hurt you.

No one snorts and huffs better than a buffalo.

Bears may be seen in Yellowstone March through November. Yellowstone is one of the only areas south of Canada that still has large grizzly bear populations. According to the 2013 Yellowstone trip planner: “Do not run from a bear. Carry bear spray and take time to learn how to use it safely and effectively. If you have a surprise encounter with a bear, do not run. Slowly back away. If a bear charges, stand your ground and use your bear spray. It has been highly successful at stopping aggressive behavior in bears. If a bear charges and makes contact with you, fall to the ground onto your stomach and ‘play dead‘.”

A bull bison crossing the Yellowstone river. Bison have lived in the area of yellowstone since prehistoric times, they are truly the natives of this land, and were hunted and respected by the native americans. The yellowstone herd is one of the few in the world that doesn’t have any cattle genes mixed in by man.

A mule deer. Watching. Waiting.

A cute litle pika. Pikas are native to cold climates, mostly in Asia, North America and parts of Eastern Europe. They love the cold. Most species live on rocky mountain sides, where there are numerous crevices to shelter in, although some also construct crude burrows.

A young moose walking through the meadow. Doesn’t get more peaceful that this.

A family photo: Female grizzly bear family shambling through the park.

Since wolves are hard to track, and can disappear at night. Thermal imaging helps keep an eye on them.

A fierce looking mountain lion. Mountain lions tend to be great hiders and move in secret, so few visitors actually get lucky enough to view one for themselves.

Stop! mother bear and cub passing through!

A porcupine, part of the rich wildlife in Yellowstone.

A Bull Moose resting its heady on a snowy bush. Those antlers must get heavy sometimes.

A pine marten. We asked wikipedia for more information: “There are at least 50 small mammal species known to occur in Yellowstone National Park, including four common species of bats: Big Brown Bat, Little Brown Bat, Long-legged Bat, and Silver-haired bat. Squirrel, Rabbit, vole, mice, and shrew species are common, but many are nocturnal and rarely seen by visitors. The Uinta ground squirrel, Least Chipmunk, Golden-mantled ground squirrel and American Red Squirrel are commonly encountered by park visitors.”

Otter pups playing in the water. Seems like someone’s tail is going to get a nasty bite!

A little bighorn. This lamb was strolling on a mountain road a long with its family.

A stunning shot of 2 playfully growling wolves.

Remember when Yosemite Sam from looney toons used to mutter about ‘yellow bellied marmots’ – this is what he was talking about.

Meadow vole. A vole is a small rodent, similar to a mouse but with a more dense body, a shorter and hairier tail and a rounder head. Basically looks like a cross between a mouse and a hamster. It only lives 3-6 months.

A muskrat on the yellowstone river. The muskrats are usually active late at night, before the dawn, and sometimes at dusk.

A grizzly mother and cub. Notice the mother is wearing a radio neckband, which helps track her location.

A mule deer, a mother and fawn.

A skunk making its lonely (and stinky) way through Geode Creek.