Grizzly versus Bison: the rest of the story (Photos)

KRTV.COM ^ | October 29, 2010 | Drew Trafton

[jazusamo]

The man responsible for snapping the dramatic photographs of a bison being chased by a grizzly bear has surfaced, providing sister station KTVQ in Billings with more pictures and the end to the tale.

Alex Wypyszinski had just dropped off his wife at work and had a few hours to kill one morning last April.

Wypyszinski says he likes to spend his free time in the morning snapping photos of wildlife in the park.

Of course, he usually has to search the animals out.

NEW PHOTOS BELOW

It all started when he was driving in the Fountain Flats area, located between the Madison Junction and Old Faithful, when he heard an unusual sound.

But Wypyszinski says any noise is unusual on that particular highway at 7am.

"I thought it was a horse and carriage," said Wypyszinski. "That was the kind of noise that I heard."

By the time he turned around, the two fuzzy brown images were racing quickly toward him.

Wypyszinski pulled out his camera quickly, thinking he was going to catch two moose racing down the highway.

He quickly learned he was mistaken.

"I thought I was having a hallucination or something," said Wypyszinski. "I couldn't believe what that buffalo looked like."

It was a bison, badly burned from an encounter with one of the numerous hot spots in Yellowstone National Park.

The sight of such an injured bison alone is rare, but what Wypyszinski saw next was once in a lifetime.

"Never, ever, ever," said Wypyszinski. "I've seen plenty of bear, and more buffalo. But I've never seen anything like that before."

A grizzly was chasing the buffalo (which was practically cooked already) and gaining quickly.

Wypyszinski stopped his car on the desolate highway and took out his camera.

"I stood along the car as long as I thought it was safe."

The two beasts passed the man by without paying any notice.

The result: these hair-raising pictures.

We pick our tale up where the photos end.

Wypiszinski says once in the safety of the woods the bison out maneuvered the grizzly, escaping to live exactly one more day.

Park rangers had to put the bison down due to the injuries it sustained.

Wypiszinski said the whole event was over just as quickly as it happened.

Just another day in Yellowstone National Park.

[Cheetahcat]

Amazing photos thank you for posting them.

[jazusamo]

I’m surprised too. What a beautiful pic on your homepage, you truly live in Gods country.

[Quix]

Would be interesting to intro hoverbear to hovercat.

LOL.

[TheMom]

Really cool pictures ping.

[Berlin_Freeper]

[BelleAl]

I’m shocked with all that snow that the bear wasn’t still hibernating! Or half asleep!

[BerryDingle]

Fast food bump.

[jazusamo]

She fits right in. lol

[MHGinTN]

The Bison had a better chance to outrun the Bear on the pavement. In the brush the Bear will win. But the poor Bison was so nadly burned, the winter would have frozen him anyway so the Bear just got fresh rather than frozen.

[fuzzybutt]

I’d say the bear was very hungry or really likes cooked bison.

[mickey finn]

Awesome photos!! I love the hover-bear ones.

Last time I was in Jellystone I was riding in the back seat of my friends Subaru wagon. At one point were stopped in traffic waiting for bison to clear the road. One bison approached the car and came up to my window about two feet away and was just looking right at me. I was going to take a photo, and just then the hell hounds in the back of the car woke up and started howling at the beast. I threw myself to the other side of the car thinking I was about to be gored. Thank god the bison took off and did not come through the window.

I love Yellowstone!

[irishtenor]

Medium rare, and on the hoof.

[Flag_This]

"The Bison had a better chance to outrun the Bear on the pavement. In the brush the Bear will win."

The bison escaped, but the rangers capped him later:

"Wypiszinski says once in the safety of the woods the bison out maneuvered the grizzly, escaping to live exactly one more day. Park rangers had to put the bison down due to the injuries it sustained.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

Too bad that the Park rangers had to put the bison down

Yes but Buffalo meat is great...tastes just like Moose.

[MHGinTN]

I hope they served the Bear the repast.

[Troublemaker]

That’s Slough Creek in the Northeast portion of Yellowstone. Fish there quite a bit and it’s in prime grizzly and wolf territory.

[happygrl]

That looks like a Black Bear to me.

Still, a tremendous series of wildlife photos.

[happygrl]

Gallatin County is God’s Heaven on earth.

[mickey finn]

“Too bad that the Park rangers had to put the bison down”

Too bad Hover-bear did not get the kill, and feast for days before going to bed for the winter. He looks so happy in his hover photo. He looks confident that his parboiled buffalo is a sure bet, and then he blows it.

Poor Hover-bear.

[GladesGuru]

If that is a black bear, it is chasing a miniature bison.