One of the most unlikely predatory scenes unfolded earlier this month at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming that left a park regular stunned at what he witnessed.
According to the Cowboy State Daily, Julie Argyle is the postmaster at Lake Village in the park, and she has witnessed some incredible things at the park, but nothing like what she encountered earlier this month in the eastern half of Yellowstone at a spot dubbed “No Moose Pond.”
Argyle says she now knows why the pond has the moniker, after witnessing a bull elk stuck in thick mud. The bull elk got stuck in the pond on the morning of Sept. 8. The outlet reports that the bull elk was slowly dying of exhaustion, forcing rangers to end the bull elk’s suffering.
“You could tell it had been struggling to get out, but it had moved maybe six inches in all that time,” she said. “Everyone who was there knew that there was no way that animal was going to get out.”
Some days later, Argyle returned to the area and witnessed several grizzly bears in a full-on battle over the carcass. Finally, a huge grizzly bear won. The bear then used its immense strength to pull the massive bull elk out of the muddy waters.
Argyle told the Cowboy State Daily that “it was a scene unlike anything” she had ever witnessed at Yellowstone.
Some days later, Argyle returned to the area and witnessed several grizzly bears in a full-on battle over the carcass. Argyle notes that the first grizzly on the scene was a female grizzly known as “Jam,” who found the elk on Sept. 13.
After playing with the elk’s antlers at first, “Jam” was then chased off by another well-known grizzly named “Snow,” who happens to be “Jam’s” sister.
“Snow and Jam have the same mom,” Argyle said. “Snow kicked Jam off and slept there all night. We watched as Jam kept trying to get in, but Snow chased her off.”
Related: National Park Officials Debunk Viral Mountain Lion-Bear Cub Photo
Argyle goes on to tell the Cowboy State Daily that “Snow” attempted to drag the elk out of the mud but didn’t have the strength. Then came a male grizzly, who is seen on video seemingly effortlessly dragging the elk out of the mud.
Suffice it to say, the male grizzly devoured the carcass. The outlet reports that Argyle “got a photo of the grizzly, looking thoroughly satisfied with a blood-covered snout and ribs striped to the bone.”
“He was most definitely the King of the Carcass,” Argyle told the outlet. “That guy wasn’t letting anyone share and took everything off while he was there.”
