Bear Chasing Bison Down the Road

A photo circulating on the Internet and in e-mails of a grizzly bear chasing a bison down a paved road was apparently taken in Yellowstone National Park in April in the Fountain Flats area. Fountain Flat Drive is north of Old Faithful along the Firehole River.

"I found out from a number of our staff that indeed it is legitimate," said Al Nash, Yellowstone's chief of public affairs. "I've been unable to verify who shot it."

The photo is taken from the middle of the road with the bison running in the foreground down the road's striped centerline. The bison has large chunks of fur missing on its front legs and left side, as if it had been attacked by the bear, wolves or some other predator. The bison's head is caked with snow and snow can be seen in the background off to the sides of the pavement.

A grizzly bear is in pursuit behind the bison. Both are running into oncoming traffic.
Male grizzly bears can weight 300 to 700 pounds in Yellwostone with females tipping the scales at 200 to 400 pounds. The bears can run up to 45 mph.
A male bison can weigh up to 2,000 pounds, a female tops out at 1,000. The animal's top speed is about 30 mph.