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How I Got that Shot: A close encounter with Canyon Pack wolves in Yellowstone

The Canyon Pack alpha male wolf (right) and his mate run near the FIrehole River in Yellowstone National Park. (©Sandy Sisti - click to enlarge)

Even though they saw us, the Canyon Pack wolves continued their approach to the Firehole River, intent on getting a drink. At that point, it was just us and them. "Unbelievable," I thought, and turned my telephoto lens from the great blue heron to the Canyons to start shooting. Continue Reading →

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Black-footed ferrets poised for Internet stardom on YouTube, Facebook

Federal wildlife managers are using social media tools like Facebook pages and YouTube videos to raise awareness of recovery efforts for the endangered black-footed ferret.

Looking to harness to the natural synergy between cute baby animals and the Internet, federal wildlife managers are hoping to make social media stars out of young black-footed ferrets, animals once thought to be extinct before about 130 were found on a Wyoming ranch east of Yellowstone National Park. The National Black-footed Ferret Recovery Program, a multi-partner project lead by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, has created a Facebook page that allows fans to follow the progress of newborn ferret kits. Continue Reading →

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Autumn wildlife and color changes in Yellowstone and Grand Teton

Autumn is a great time to see changing colors and abundant wildlife in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. (Still image from video by Mike Cavaroc - click to enlarge)

Locals living around Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks cherish autumn as a time with fewer crowds, cooler weather, abundant wildlife and dramatic displays of changing colors, making it a favorite season among many to visit and photograph the parks. If you've spent some time in past Septembers or Octobers visiting the parks, then you'll no doubt be planning a return trip. If you've never visited during the fall, then take a look at two wonderful videos by acclaimed photographers showcasing the inviting beauty of the fall flora and fauna in both parks. Continue Reading →

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Viral video of ‘Bison Fury’ shows need for safety around Yellowstone, Grand Teton wildlife

An Aug. 4 video posted to YouTube illustrates the importance of keeping a safe distance from wildlife in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. (YouTube video)

With fall approaching in the high country of Yellowstone National Park, animals are moving to lower elevations, prompting park officials to issue a seasonal warning about staying clear of wildlife. Proving the point, a viral video of a Yellowstone bison chasing a boy is attracting plenty of attention online. Park regulations require people to stay at least 100 yards from wolves and bears, and 25 yards from other large wildlife like elk and bison. Both bison and elk become more aggressive during their seasonal mating periods, and park officials want to make sure visitors don't get too close. That's exactly what happened in a 90-second vacation video called Bison Fury, viewed more than 100,000 times since it was uploaded Aug. 4 to to YouTube. Continue Reading →

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Photographer finds overlooked beauty in badlands east of Yellowstone Park

Photographer Rob Koelling works to capture the overlooked beauty of the badlands and forgotten places east of Yellowstone Park. (©Rob Koelling - click to enlarge)

While most photographers around the greater Yellowstone area work hard to capture an idealized image of a particularly famous and beautiful place, a Powell, Wyo. man has spent years focusing on the often overlooked beauty in the region's badlands and forgotten places. "I've often felt that Wyoming hides some of its most wonderful resources in plain site," said Rob Koelling, an English professor at Northwest College who has a passion for photographing what he jokingly calls "the ugly places" in the state. Continue Reading →

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Wyoming photographer draws fans with compelling Yellowstone wildlife images

Two wolves from the Canyon Pack squabble over an elk carcass near Alum Creek in Yellowstone National Park. (©Sandy Sisti - click to enlarge)

A Wyoming photographer whose work captures both the majesty and the savagery of wildlife in Yellowstone National Park says she is drawn by the irresistible lure of the park's animals, and though she loves photographing bears and wolves, she is "always rooting for the elk calf." "I understand the food chain," said Wapiti, Wyo. wildlife and nature photographer Sandy Sisti. "But I still don't like to see anything suffer." Continue Reading →

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Fearless elk hang around disinterested grizzly bear at Willow Flats in Grand Teton

Well, here's something you don't see every day. Photographer Daryl Hunter has posted a pretty perplexing video of elk and a grizzly bear behaving in a way that seems — well, you're just going to have to watch it. In Hunter's video, a grizzly bear in the Willow Flats area of Grand Teton National Park strolls into frame and, understandably, a bunch of elk trot briskly in the opposite direction. But then, something really weird happens. The grizzly does not give chase, and the elk walk right back up to the bear. Then the bear appears to wander around the herd for a few minutes, all without the bear or the elk doing what you would expect. Continue Reading →

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How I Got That Shot: ‘Connoisseur’ – Networking helps find ermine with vole

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This is an ermine — white in winter and brown and beige in the summer. It also is known as a stoat or a short-tailed weasel. This little guy had been in the same spot, over and across the road, in about a quarter-acre area, for over a week. All we had to do, once armed with the information, was go there and wait. Within 15 minutes, there he was. In and out all over the place. They are extremely fast animals, and your only chance is when they stop to survey and take a breath. Here he went into the root ball and by the count of about five he was out with the vole. He took a second to look around, and I took the shot. Continue Reading →

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Four ‘other’ Grand Teton and Yellowstone animals to love on Endangered Species Day

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Even if they weren't sensitive species, wouldn't you still love the wolverine for its ferocity, the sage grouse for its elaborate courtship displays, the Canada lynx for its air of mystery and the boreal toad its toxic secretions? OK, maybe three out of four? So in honor of Endangered Species Day on Friday, May 18, here are four "other" fascinating and compelling Grand Teton and Yellowstone animals you might want to know more about. Though none of these animals is technically listed as endangered, they each are closely tracked by researchers for a variety of reasons. Continue Reading →

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Yellowstone birds in focus for Migratory Bird Day events in park, West Yellowstone

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A National Park Service ranger will lead a bird-watching caravan in Yellowstone Park to view Yellowstone birds in celebration of International Migratory Bird Day. Participants will watch migrating Yellowstone birds as enthusiasts across the continent take part in an annual tally migratory birds in North America. Staff members from Yellowstone National Park and the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center staff will celebrate International Migratory Bird Day on Saturday, May 19, with free programs about Yellowstone birds and a field trip that are open to the public. Continue Reading →

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