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.

[Krankor]

I heard moose tastes like buffalo

[ROCKLOBSTER]

I heard moose tastes like buffalo

Ayuh.

Nice lean beef-like meat. Of course the flavor depends somewhat on what the critter's been eating.

[driftdiver]

“Nice lean beef-like meat. Of course the flavor depends somewhat on what the critter’s been eating. “

So grizzly tastes like bison?

[sportutegrl]

I'm surprised they didn't have this all over the news.

Shep Smith will be all over this story. Anything for another excuse to show 'trampoline bear'.

[jazusamo]

Heh heh heh

I didn’t think of that and you’re probably right. :-)

[ROCKLOBSTER]

So grizzly tastes like bison?

No, but apparently Grizzly has developed a taste for Bison.

[Roscoe Karns]

.

.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

That’s funnier than hell!

[thackney]

Thanks.

Makes me miss Alaska

[PoloSec]

What is there no law against grizzlies chasing bisons...what is the gubmint gonna do bout it...Save the Bison.

[A.A. Cunningham]

bison

[goat granny]

Having taken care of a couple of burn patients in the hospital, they did the merciful thing...I told my kids if I am ever burned bad to shoot me...just changing dressing daily brings horrible pain.....sad for the bison..

[Viking2002]

Growing up in the Appalachians, I've experienced that with everything from bear to deer to ring-necked pheasants in rural areas, but I've also had that encounter twice with my dogs, with commercial livestock. One time, we were cruising beside a poultry truck on the interstate. Our male Dachshund was sitting in my wife's lap, trying to figure out just what it was inside that ventilated trailer we were next to, when one of the chickens lifted his beak out from under his wing and stared right at our dog with his beady little black eye. Pandemonium ensued. To this day, he has a major jones for anything that has wings. The second time it happened, it was almost worse, yet twice as comical. His sister from the litter - who, it turned out, had some fat beagle genes in her - was in the back of the truck, staring out at the horse trailer we were pacing. The horse was as still as a stone until he realized he was being stared at doing 80 up the freeway, then looked at my dog, did one of those curl-back-the-wiggly-lips-and-bare-the-teeth numbers like Mr. Ed saying, "Oh, Wil-b-u-r-r-r-r-r!". I've never seen 40 pounds of mutt A: go that bug-f*ck crazy in a micro-second, nor have I ever seen B: a dog that could literally grip the inside of the cab moulding like she was Spiderman, and try to chew through the window glass. She went INSANE. It took her hours to get over that. We had to give her half a Dramamine so she'd stop hyperventilating. LMAO

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away, for his name is Obama."

[jazusamo]

Grizzly versus Bison: the rest of the story

[EternalVigilance]

Man, that was funny!

[crghill]

That made me laugh so hard that I spit up my coffee....that I drank yesterday!

[GonzoII]

"Our male Dachshund was sitting in my wife's lap"

What are you doing with a Dachshund!?

......." War Dog of the Vikings "

[mickey finn]

One of the two dogs in the back was of some weiner dog blood. Funniest looking bitch, and is a good biter.

[SJackson]

If you’d like to be on or off this Upper Midwest/outdoors/rural list please FR mail me. And ping me is you see articles of interest.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Wow! Those shots are simply amazing! Thanks for sharing.