Yellowstone’s Junction Butte Wolf Pack Faces Off with Grizzlies

There are two predators at the top of the food chain in Yellowstone National Park and they both ended up in a showdown in the Lamar Valley recently. It was the Junction Butte wolf pack trying to chase off some grizzlies from a food source they had selected for themselves.

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The visitor to Yellowstone National Park who just shared this video today added some important backstory which will help you understand exactly what you're seeing:

The Junction Butte Wolf Pack chases a large Grizzly Bear in Lamar Valley in the north eastern part of Yellowstone National Park. This amazing wildlife encounter took place in late April 2022. The Junction Butte Wolf Pack had a kill (not visible) in the gully. A smaller grizzly bear took over the wolf kill and had been scavenging on the carcass for hours. The kill attracted a larger grizzly bear who the Junction Butte Pack meets and tries to chase off. As you will see, the large bear wins and chases off the smaller grizzly bear.

It begins with the bigger grizzly entering the picture followed closely by the wolf pack trying to convince him to go elsewhere. The key word is "trying".

It's fairly common knowledge that grizzlies steal a very high percentage of wolf kills. Even the Junction Butte pack which is the largest in Yellowstone would have a hard time getting a grizzly off of a carcass. It does happen, but seems to be the exception and not the rule.

It's worth noting that the person who captured the video was obviously using a mega-zoom camera. You don't dare get close to these predators especially when a food source is nearby.

Nature being nature once again in wild Yellowstone.