Can you spot the Yellowstone bison and three grizzly bears?
Hiking guide Douglas Scott posed the question after capturing images of a grizzly bear family and a large bison in a single frame.
A guide who leads hiking excursions in Yellowstone National Park on Tuesday shared a “quiz” image via X, asking:
“Can you find the lone bison and the three grizzly bears from this picture from Yellowstone National Park?”
It’s not a difficult quiz for those who blow up the image. (Answer provided below.)
Can you find the lone bison and the three grizzly bears from this picture from Yellowstone National Park? pic.twitter.com/vlPz0XqD0p
— Douglas Scott (@bisontattooguy) May 21, 2024
But Douglas Scott’s images from this encounter are interesting because they show a momma grizzly bear with yearling cubs in a seemingly peaceful coexistence with a nearby bison.
“The bison was pretty alert, but there were no issues, as bears rarely, if ever try to attack a full-grown bison,” Scott, who runs The Outdoor Society, told FTW Outdoors. “The cubs were definitely were curious about it, occasionally stopping their grazing and watching the bison.”
Grizzly bear family walks around bison. Photo: Douglas Scott
Scott tweeted a second image from the encounter, which shows the bear family walking around the bison, with the bison standing and alert.
“Do you see all three grizzlies?” Scott asked his followers. “The bison certainly did.”
Scott said the encounter occurred northeast of the Fountain Paint Pots boardwalk on May 10 at 5 p.m.
Grizzly bears (left) and bison at the edge of a meadow. Photo: Douglas Scott
May is an excellent month for viewing grizzly bears and bison in Yellowstone National Park, as both species are often in close viewing range with youngsters in tow.