Nature is brutal, there’s no way around it. Especially in areas where grizzly bears roam, the thought that you can be going about your day when BAM you’re suddenly being eaten by a thousand pound beast is terrifying, yet it’s the reality many people and animals face on the daily.
This video from Glacier National Park in Montana exemplifies the nature of grizzlyies like no other, as it shows a bear calmly walking up to a female moose with her two calves and grabbing one for a snack.
If you’re like me, you wonder why the mother didn’t do anything to protect her child, after all we’ve seen many examples of moose defending themselves when they feel threatened, a comment from a person allegedly in a Glacier National Park Facebook group gave the below explanation for the moose’s inaction.
“Little backstory for those who don’t know: the Grizzly had been chasing the moose and her calves for days and she was simply too exhausted to fight for her babies.
“The momma would’ve fought the bear off in most scenarios but the bear won this one. The bear also got the 2nd calf. It’s sad but the bear got to eat and the mom is still alive and hopefully will have better luck next year”
Unfortunately, the bear was too relentless.
The next video starts with a fairly young grizz approaching two moose calves by the lake as their mother stands over them.
Being very careful not to make any sudden movement and spur an attack, the mother moose tries to get its young to move into the water behind her. She is clearly weary of the grizzly and knows what these animals are capable of… they’re stone cold killers.
The grizzly gets close and makes its move to get ahold of one of the calves. He is successful in the sad scene as the helpless mother watches her newborn calf fall prey to North America’s most savage predator.
Tough choice there and the moose decided to lose a kid (possibly two) and live to fight another day.
It’s a wild, wild world out there, folks.
In the final clip, she runs the bear off, but as we know from those who were there, it was only temporary.
The things you see in these parks… consider making a trip this fall.
This article by Andrew Mies was first published by Whiskey Riff on 12 October 2022.
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