Last Moment of a Bison Calf

I came upon the bison mother and calf, fixating on how tame the large, terrestrial animal appeared. Ordinarily, the two would spend a typical day lazing about the vast open plains, nibbling on bits of grass peeking through the heavy snow. Today, the 2,000-pound animal tried to save her baby from a vicious pack of coyotes, after a wolf pack attack had injured the baby three days before. She relentlessly used her head to nudge the calf to its feet, but failed. I watched for several hours and numerous attempts (1,000 plus: no exaggeration!). At one point, she walked towards us, as if asking for help. In the end, nature’s cruel hand delivered the calf to the coyotes. The mother stood a few hundred feet away, motionless.

American Bison, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA, 2011

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 500mm F/4, f/8, 1/2500s, ISO 800, Gitzo tripod