WILDLIFE
Bachelor Party
Mule deer are found throughout the west where, during the summer, they spend most of their time along the top of ridgelines and high plateaus. Bucks commonly band together in the summer to form bachelor groups which offer the deer safety from predators. When mule deer are alerted, they give group warning signals by snorting loudly and by bounding away in a series of high, jolting leaps called “stotting,” in which all 4 feet hit the ground at the same time...
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Blue Elk
A bull elk responds to another bull’s bugling on a foggy autumn morning. During the rutting season, the sound of the bull’s bugle fills the air, announcing his presence to potential rivals. Bulls expend a tremendous amount of energy during the rut in the attempt to gather a harem for breeding rites, which leaves some bulls vulnerable to the approaching winter. As winter progresses, natural selection will claim the old and weak, leaving the stronger animals...
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Christmas Moose
This moose is found wandering through a flocked field of willows reminiscent of a Christas card scene. Willows offer moose just about everything they will need to survive: food, shelter, a place to mate and give birth to their young. Normally, the flats that willow need to grow are on the moose’s preferred habitat. In one square mile of willows, you may find upwards of forty moose.
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Elk in Storm
A late autumn snowstorm signals the end of fall for a group of elk in Yellowstone National Park. Elk prefer open plains and grasslands, and live where land and water meet. Because of these preference, elk thrive in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Through conservation and the far-sighted protection of critical habitat, elk have rebounded from their wholesale slaughter in the late 1800’s..
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Evening Fox
A young red fox appears to enjoy a late evening breeze. One of a litter of five, this red fox was raised in a den in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. She was nicknamed “Patches” for the patchy spots on her front paws. Red foxes exist not only in wilderness areas like this one, but in urban and rural communities as well.
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Eye of the Storm
Hunted to the brink of extinction in the lower 48 states during the early 1900’s, attitudes towards wolves are now changing, due to the recognition of their integral ecological role as predators. This timberwolf, curled up to wait out a winter storm, is a resident of Mission Wolf, a refuge in Colorado dedicated to wolf conservation.
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Fire and Rain
A young red fox, backlit by the rays of the setting sun, watches as a late afternoon thunderstorm moves on. Red foxes live in a variety of habitats ranging from the tundras of the far north and the Chaparral Thorn Forests of Iran, to the sprawling suburbs of Los Angeles. Consequently, the red fox is one of the most widely distributed wild canine in the world.
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Fox Trot
A young red fox appears to be out for a daily trot. One of a litter of five, this red fox was raised in a den in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. She was nicknamed “Patches” for the patchy spots on her front paws. Red foxes exist not only in wilderness areas like this one, but in urban and rural communities as well.
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June Fluff
Two newborn moose calves are welcomed into the world by a late spring snowstorm. Female moose will usually bear young after their second or third year. After an eight month gestation they give birth to a single calf, rarely two. Born light-reddish brown, they follow their mother after three days from birth. Moose mothers are fiercely protective of their young and have been known to go to great lengths to protect their calves.
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Just One Look
A bull moose peers out of his watery hiding place as he glides through vegetation in a pond. Moose are found in the boreal and northern woodlands of North America, they are the largest member of the deer family. Bull moose can weigh up to 1,500 pounds and can run up to 35 mph.
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Lion in Winter
The cougar, also called the mountain lion, puma or panther, is the largest member of the cat family found in North America. Male cougars like this one can weigh 150 to 200 pounds and may be 9 feet in length from head to tail. They hunt mainly at night with the aid of their eyes, which are the largest among carnivores in relation to their body size. While cougars feed primarily on deer, they may prey on something as small as a rabbit or as large as an elk. ...
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Loves in the Air
A bull moose moves through the willows, where he has staked out his territory for the annual autumn rut. Found in the boreal and northern woodlands of North America, moose are the largest member of the deer family. Bull moose can weigh up to 1,500 pounds and can run up to 35 mph. During the mating season, moose have even been known to challenge oncoming vehicles and trains in defense of their females and their territories.
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Miss November
Look into the eyes of a timber wolf and there lurks a world far older and wiser than our own. This same wisdom has helped the wolf play the role of consummate predator. Giving balance to the ecosystem, wolves have played an important part in the evolution of such species as bison, elk, deer and pronghorn. As an ecologist once remarked, “The role of the wolf in the scheme of things, is to keep the legs of the deer swift.”
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Moose Monarch
In early spring, bull moose antler growth begins again. The antlers are covered in velvet to nourish and protect their growth, which at its peak, can be more than an inch a day. Bull moose may consume up to fifty pounds of forage a day to restore fat reserves and nourish antler growth. Moose feed mainly on willow, aspen and cottonwood leaves, as well as on grasses along streams and rivers, and on aquatic plants like milfoil and pond weed.
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Pride of Yellowstone
Hunted to the brink of extinction in the lower 48 states during the early 1900’s, attitudes towards wolves are now changing, due to the recognition of their integral ecological role as predators. This timberwolf, curled up to wait out a winter storm, is a resident of Mission Wolf, a refuge in Colorado dedicated to wolf conservation.
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River Crossing
A bull elk crosses a fog-shrouded river at first light on an autumn morning. Bull elk expend a tremendous amount of energy during the rut in an attempt to challenge bulls like this one, by first bugling to announce their presence, then by displaying their size, and finally, by fighting the other bull. In rare cases, these fights lead to the death of one or both of the bulls.
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Rutting Bull
A bull moose stakes out his territory by showing the size of his antlers to his competitors during the annual autumn rut. Found in the boreal and northern woodlands of North America, moose are the largest member of the deer family. Bull moose can weigh up to 1,500 pounds and can run up to 35 m.p.h. During the mating season, moose have even been known to challenge oncoming vehicles and trains in defense of their females and their territories.
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Sage Coyote
A coyote uses sage as camouflage. Members of the canine family have been persecuted throughout history. Today, coyotes are still classified as vermin, and are the only predator allowed to be trapped, poisoned, and hunted year round. However, thanks to emerging environmental awarness, the image of coyotes is now finally changing.
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Skinny Chocolate Moose
A bull moose moves through an open glade in the forest, where he has staked out his territory for the annual autumn rut. Found in the boreal and northern woodlands of North America, moose are the largest member of the deer family. Bull moose can weigh up to 1,500 pounds and can run up to 35 mph. During the mating season, moose have even been known to challenge oncoming vehicles and trains in defense of their females and their territories.
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Timberwolf
With prime wolf habitat being lost, the future of wolves, even with their newfound popularity, is uncertain. The real question we must now ask ourselves is, “If we can give wolves a place on the walls of our homes, can we also preserve some wilderness in which wolves can exist?” This timberwolf is a resident of Wolf Haven, a refuge in Washington dedicated to wolf conservation.
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Twins First Snow
Two newborn moose calves are welcomed into the world by a late spring snowstorm. Female moose will usually bear young after their second or third year. After an eight month gestation they give birth to a single calf, rarely two. Born light-reddish brown, they follow their mother after three days from birth. Moose mothers are fiercely protective of their young and have been known to go to great lengths to protect their calves.
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Waterdance
A bull elk crosses a fog-shrouded river on an autumn morning. Bull elk expend a tremendous amount of energy during the rut in an attempt to gather and protect a harem of cows for breeding rites. Other bull elk will attempt to challenge bulls like this one, by first bugling to announce their presence, then by displaying their size, and finally, by fighting the other bull. In rare cases, these fights lead to the death of one or both of the bulls.
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Wet Mountain Bandit
A young orphaned raccoon peers out from his temporary new home at the Wet Mountain Wildlife Rehabilitation Facility. Come fall, he and others will be released back into the wild. Dedicated people, like those at Wet Mountain Rehab are responsible for rescuing millions of injured and orphaned animals throughout the country and nurturing them back to health so that they may return to their wild habitats. These rehab centers often survive by funding themselves...
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Winter Sage
The winter season covers the sagebrush in snow as this beautiful bull elk lords over his territory. Elk prefer open plains and grasslands, and live where land and water meet. Because of these preference, elk thrive in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Through conservation and the far-sighted protection of critical habitat, elk have rebounded from their wholesale slaughter in the late 1800’s.
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Winter Solstice
The mountain lion is on the decline throughout the west. Driven out of its habitat by hunting and development, the frequency of altercations between lions and humans is on the rise. This lion became a resident of Wet Mountain Rehabilitation Facility after being confiscated by the Division of Wildlife Resources from lion-hunting outfitters who were using the cat to train their dogs and possibly planning to use him on a future hunt when the lion matured. Beca...
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Wolf Eyes
Look into the eyes of a timber wolf and there lurks a world far older and wiser than our own. This same wisdom has helped the wolf play the role of consummate predator. Giving balance to the ecosystem, wolves have played an important part in the evolution of such species as bison, elk, deer and pronghorn. As an ecologist once remarked, “The role of the wolf in the scheme of things, is to keep the legs of the deer swift.” This timber wolf resides at Mission...
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Yellow Wolf
From the beginning, the coyote has played many important and varying roles in the lives of humans. Early Europeans despised coyotes and viewed them as vermin, while Native American cultures highly revered the coyote. Playing integral roles in their mythology, the coyote’s name has ranged from “Trickster” to “God’s Dog.”
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