Grizzly Country - The Heart of Yellowstone National Park | Free Documentary Nature

[Music] thank you Hyundai mountain and Yellowstone National Park alone Grizzly wanders in search of edible roots this is no ordinary grizzly this is bear 211. or better known to park visitors as Scarface foreign [Music] as well he might as he is over 20 years old in that time he has wandered throughout the park and Beyond his face and ears show that he has fought in many battles with other Bears over food females and territory thank you [Music] the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone's Northern range can be home to Scarface but he has roamed throughout Yellowstone's two million Acres making his life here in one of the few places where Grizzlies can still exist in these 48 states in Yellowstone for the next several years he pursues any opportunity he encounters exploring any situation for the possibility of food large herds of Bison roam the valley they are a challenge for a Grizzly to hunt but a bison that has died a natural death is a food opportunity [Music] and so he prowls this Valley where he may find just such an opportunity his endless wanderings take him near the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone in the den of the Hayden Valley wolf pack 25 miles to the South the family pack is resting and relaxed the white alpha female of the Hayden pack has just fed her pups but scarface's arrival is a threat to the Pax pups this triggers concern in the wolves the white alpha female Rises to defend her pups a short battle ensues behind the trees [Music] and Scarface is convinced to move on [Music] in his earlier life Scarface would have fished for cutthroat trout but now he must be content with Scavenging a large sucker fish which are still plentiful in the river and not particular about the condition Upstream from the den in Hayden Valley a female and her Cubs have found a dead bison floating in the Yellowstone River when Scarface comes in the sow and her two yearlings do not argue with the old timer he is a definite threat to the two Cubs male Grizzlies have been known to kill Cubs even though the female would defend them in this case she chooses to let the large male take control of the carcass safety will take precedence over food for the moment in the highest coldest zones white bark Pines flourish where other trees cannot subsist in late Autumn the white bark Pine has produced a crop of cones containing seeds of Rich caloric content this food source attracts many Yellowstone residents Scarface will be found high on the slopes of Mount Washburn feeding on the nuts of this tree this will keep him on higher slopes for he will have less conflict with humans the gentle snows accumulate all winter sometimes forming a solid foundation [Music] large male Grizzlies may be out of their dens in February although usually in March warmer Winters are making this more common in Yellowstone but females with Cubs will emerge later about April or May he is on the Eternal search for food [Music] another bear has discovered a winter killed carcass at the edge of the river [Music] [Music] this grizzly is centered at two [Music] the smaller bear will not contest the larger dominant bear will always have the reward [Music] foreign but this is not winter instead just a usual June snowstorm in Yellowstone this female Grizzly has been observed on Mount Washburn for five years a bird exiting her nest in the aspen tree has attracted her attention with some difficulty she climbs to the Nets to investigate in spite of a common misperception Grizzlies actually can climb trees she has more important things on her mind as this is the time of year females without cubs come into estrus [Music] she and her mate continue their courting in spite of the near blizzard conditions [Music] their courting will continue for hours actually they may spend a few days together in the mating process at the end of the day most of the snow has melted and the cording pair display a tender closeness [Music] Mount Washburn is all that is left of a mountain chain that was blown up by the super volcano of 600 000 years ago [Music] in these high Alpine slopes the Pica harvests and stores hay the plants that will sustain him through the winter he hides his stash in little caves because he'll be buried under feet of snow for six months this high elevation Harbors the white bark Pine these cones contain seeds that are high in fat ideal food for grizzly bears and a host of other high Alpine residents too for some the cones are there for the picking but the grizzly sow depends on others to First gather the seeds especially the red squirrel which harvests the cones then hides their seeds is an underground caches the cones mature in the Autumn and she will continue to dig out caches until she goes into hibernation [Music] is an incredibly important food source during good cone years ninety percent of a bear's caloric intake will come from these seeds and black bear cubs will take advantage of the Grizzlies Excavating talents to find any remaining seeds that she's overlooked the female black bear is drawn to investigate too the trees are being killed by two decades of global warming this threatens their high elevation position as they cannot compete with other species of trees that are moving up the slopes [Music] concentrate on the white bark Pine seeds until they are buried too deep under the snow then in late October or early November the pregnant female will select a dad most likely on the north side of the mountain foreign [Music] [Music] the eggs that were fertilized in June we'll begin the process of growing into cups foreign [Music] s from her Den with two small cups at this elevation may can seem more like March but to the Cubs that know nothing but the confines of a den this is play time at Birth the Cubs are tiny about one pound foreign they lived entirely on their mother's milk but now they will begin to sample the plant Foods their mother eats she will move across the mountain face in search of roots and other vegetation their energy seemed boundless intelligence level makes them creatures of curiosity a telegraph line from 100 years ago will capture their interest even as they're learning to eat new foods the mother will continue nursing them for a Time her milk is 30 butter fat the Cubs will depend on her milk for five months and after that they may still nurse occasionally until they separate from her [Music] this Washburn mother continues with her two Cubs in early summer but then she disappears for a month into the backcountry when she reappears there are four cups with her DNA tests have identified the mother of these two new Cubs a sow who was attacked by wolves in the encounter two of her three Cubs became separated from their mother foreign [Music] [Music] adopting Cubs is unusual in the Grizzly World in this case not only were the two females related but the father of all the Cubs was Scarface the Washburn female now has four Cubs to nurse and to dig out squirrel caches for the next spring finds her digging out a squirrel cache but only one Cub watches her somehow three Cubs have vanished even in the best of circumstances only about half of all Cubs survive to maturity in Yellowstone geology rules the ecosystem the geothermal activity deep underground affects the food sources of all its creatures near roaring Mountain on the west side of the park spring comes much earlier due to the warming of the ground and bison May linger there but winter still persists outside these areas bear cubs usually leave their mother in their third summer for the next several years these bears are known as sub-adults the teenagers of the Bear World then just as in our own teenagers some activities seem to defy explanation [Music] a porcupine is something to be investigated by the young bear they have to learn about porcupines the hard way the porcupine quills are Barbed so will not come out on their own they may continue to work their way through the Bear's paw eventually allowing him to recover foreign it may take a few months [Music] he endures the pain stoically small rodents can be found in unexpected places the Bear's sense of smell guides it to these locations although he depends mostly on plant food he relishes meat [Music] these little voles may be caught surprisingly often foreign includes earthworms ants moths grasshoppers in season as well as seeds Roots mushrooms and berries he sometimes grazes grass like a cow he's the ultimate omnivore but he constantly searches for more opportunity [Music] his mother was a killer of young elk calves an important food source in early summer now the sub-adult is on his own and has a few things to learn about when to chase health the calves are too old and thus too fast for the bear to capture failure comes often in these Pursuits foreign he pursues any opportunity he encounters exploring any situation for the possibility of food foreign the duck stays close enough to tempt him in reality she is leading him away from her nest and clutch of eggs this Pursuit is futile as well the sub-adult tears apart a Beaver Lodge made of small Willow sticks the beavers have no choice in building materials Willow is their primary diet but usually the branches are thick enough to build bear-proof lodges here he has success capturing several young beaver this day a nutritional bonus for him [Music] equally unusual to adopting another female's Cubs is the arrival of a sow at Swan Lake Flats with four Cubs of Haram [Music] this has been recorded only once in Yellowstone [Music] most commonly a female will have two Cubs three Cubs are not unusual [Applause] her tens of smell is better than a bloodhound while a litter of four cups is unusual it does happen sometimes laughs in this litter there is one cup about half the size of the other three he does not play as much probably because of his size and he often lags behind come on the following spring she appeared near Swan Lake with just two cups now yearlings the third spring her two surviving Cubs are almost the size of their mother about 300 pounds oh at this stage in their lives the Cubs would leave and or be chased Away by a boar interested in their mother she would then mate and the cycle would begin again incredibly the Cubs stayed with her into the fourth spring something about four in the life of this female who will always be known as quad mom [Music] come on the parks management of Grizzlies has changed over the past Century once bears were fed garbage and dumps were a location to watch bears [Music] in the 1970s dumps were closed and many bears were not able to adapt to this policy and were shot [Music] after the 1980s Bears increased a number until there are about 600 in the ecosystem now [Music] as the numbers increased some Grizzlies especially sows with Cubs and sub-adults moved into unused habitat near the park roads for a few weeks foreign for a few weeks this grizzly family delighted Park visitors with their antics showing their Delight for bison pies and slamming each other to the ground [Music] foreign [Music] they left for higher elevations a Grizzlies world is driven by ever-changing food sources thank you [Music] foreign surrounding Yellowstone Lake offers a different habitat for Grizzlies once it had one of the highest densities of Grizzlies in the southern 48 states hey Bears still wander these Shores which are home for a variety of other animals [Music] a single Cub with no siblings to play with must turn to its mother for his entertainment [Music] foreign [Music] like virtually all Grizzly mothers she is an attentive and accommodating mom [Music] foreign [Music] the Lakeshore The Meadows have begun to shed their snow the melting snow softens the ground and gophers and voles can be easily dug out the coyote adds a new twist for the young Cub to investigate ah this Cub is not intimidated by the coyote he has backup the coyote decides to sneak away tangling with a mother Grizzly is bad for your health she chooses to move on the Lake's Northeast Shore is a very warm thermal area there is another greenhouse effect here a Grizzly has taken over an elk carcass killed by wolves the bison are aware of the grizzly but not intimidated by him brass begins to grow long before the surrounding area is free of ice the gray alpha female returns to the Pack's kill now surrounded by bison [Music] the young Bulls practice for more serious fights which will come later in August foreign the three characters go round and round the grizzly chases the wolf but must Retreat from the larger bison the wolf agile enough to avoid the Bison waits for the Bison to leave Studies have shown that over half of the Grizzlies food intake comes from meat in these locations outside Yellowstone National Park a Grizzlies diet may be only five percent meat their food is primarily vegetation eventually the bear will take over the carcass again the wolf is playing with fire here [Music] in this domain the Bison rule completely disinterested in the contests between wolf and Bear [Music] as with any large body of water Yellowstone Lake produces a great number of non-biting flies these flies drop their eggs in the water and then die their bodies are washed ashore and pile up along the margins of the lake bears are drawn to the source of food insects are a most important food item in several locations far to the south and east there are Mountain Meadows that are carpeted with cutworm moths late in summer where Bears have learned to feed on multitudes of them those moths are an extremely important food item ranking with pine seeds for caloric value often in the afternoon Summer Winds bring high waves just the sort for a family of river otters to frolic end all bears seem to have personalities and the one known as swimmer is no exception swimmer is a medium-sized male about 10 years old he has found a deer carcass which the waves have brought in a small sub-adult investigates the situation her world there is little sharing of carcasses swimmer makes sure that this characteristic is maintained and understood in the afternoon heat swimmer takes a dip to cool off in the 50 degree Lake water he can endure extremely cold temperatures but he has a low tolerance for heat [Applause] Grizzlies are generally solitary animals and he takes his pleasure alone [Applause] and after a good swim it's time for a nap [Music] nearly every summer there are wildfires in the park usually caused by lightning fires and drought have affected the creeks and streams that feed into Yellowstone otters thrive on fish they find there cutthroat trout who owns the primary item but the native cutthroat trout numbers have declined lake trout introduced into Yellowstone illegally eat the native cutthroat trout but efforts to curtail the illegal lake trout are beginning to pay off throat are becoming more numerous [Applause] and the grizzly has been seen foraging for them on small streams feeding into the lake a bald eagle can take a trout because they are near the surface where he can reach them cutthroat trout were once an important food for Grizzlies along the streams feeding into Yellowstone Lake and so Heap is foraging for them [Music] [Music] the fires that periodically burn the forests around the lake also release nutrients into the soil and opens up the tree canopy so that more plants are available to the grizzly bear grizzly bears eat 162 different plant species here in Yellowstone his diet includes earthworms ants and berries these salad diets are lower in caloric value but are so abundant they comprise a large portion of the Grizzlies food intake foreign s refused to fall into a normal pattern in these high mountains spring may seem like winter the playfulness of the Cub will persist into adulthood he's adapted entertaining himself [Music] a free ride is always fun too good morning the valley is also home to several coyote packs [Music] at this Den there is a litter of pups with three adults to care for them [Music] and the adults are constantly alert to any Grizzly that may wander nearby the mother tries to distract the young grisly away from her Den [Music] and she succeeds when spring finally arrives in full bloom Grizzlies are often seen in Hayden Valley digging out gopher Burrows [Music] and occasionally a gopher the sedge Meadows along the Yellowstone River are especially used for this activity [Music] Grizzly Cubs seem to have an eternal Fascination for bison pies this Cub is no exception this dried object is the single most popular toy for young bear cubs foreign morning sandhill cranes have new chicks in the nest [Music] there are unique calls now are a response to a family of approaching bears an alarm cry the male goes to meet the grizzly family attempting to distract them from the nest [Music] in an astonishing almost unbelievable display the grizzly mother turns away [Music] drama that may occur every day in Yellowstone foreign [Applause] it must be a rare win for the sandhill crane [Applause] [Music] the snow in Hayden Valley is much too deep for Elk to remain here during the winter but by Spring they have moved into the valley just in time to have their calves for three weeks in early June Grizzlies search for hidden calves or chase after the herds in hopes that a calf will drop behind by late June the calves are fast enough to keep out of Harm's Way but the grizzly keeps trying compelled by her desire for flesh [Music] Hayden Valley is perhaps best known for its large bison herd August the Bulls fight over the right to mate some of these fights are deadly so Grizzlies will Cruise the valley searching for a dead bison thank you in these high country Mountain Retreats the grizzly bear has no natural enemies except for another Grizzly this male protects a carcass said a female with Cubs also has detected wolves have been waiting out the bear but the grizzly has taken over the larger male will not be easily dislodged [Music] the Wolves take advantage of the confrontation to attack the Cubs the female rushes to their defense they're beginning to show that Grizzly grid on their own but with Mom to back them up again the female hesitates but then astonishingly the male gives way to her the wolves attack the Cubs again ironically wolves may be contributing to the increase of the grizzly population because of the game they are able to kill the male returns and there is one more tense confrontation um foreign this time she gives way to the old male leaving the kill to him maybe the better part of wisdom [Music] it's March and bison have begun their migration to higher elevations following New Growth their route passes Blacktail ponds where Warm Springs create weakness in the ice [Music] the cow is doomed There Is No Escape From the frigid water soon her body will be frozen into the ice he is six bison have met this fate in a single winter the rest of the herd shows concern but they have no way to help her caucus will remain under the ice frozen until warmer weather the grizzly also breaks through the thinning ice but he is better equipped to cope with it large Bears just out of hibernation know that this is the place to go for a meal like any other scavenger the bear will be quick to investigate the rotting ice is not a detriment to him he's almost impervious to the cold bison are on the move again [Music] Bluebirds have returned in the northern part of Yellowstone Park they have wintered in the northern area around Blacktail ponds the herd hesitates briefly [Music] but one yearling attempts to jump an open arm of water foreign a second young cow decides to cross in like manner she can't get a grip on the icy Bank her desperate struggles are to no avail the banks are too steep to allow her to get a foothold if she will only turn back the direction she came from she could Escape the herd has continued on and the airling is anxious to catch up with them cautiously she tests the decaying ice and edges forward when it holds she gains confidence it seems to support her weight [Applause] once again she's unable to climb the Steep Bank the cow is unable to help her struggles continue for several hours [Music] by Sunset the cold water has sapped her energies away [Music] as the rolling Seasons evolve the temperatures rise a week later the pond started the thaw around the edges in the warming days a large boar soon discovers the newest victim a splash sends a raven on his way he will have to wait with a full stomach the bear retreats to sleep but not before facing off with a wolf sense of respect and curiosity May sometimes engage them both briefly [Music] [Music] the temperatures rise in the warming days the ice disappears but the Bison carcass does not in the life of Yellowstone many creatures can feed on the Bison in these remote pockets of the Hidden World Life plays out a predestined role constantly changing yet forever constant nothing is wasted perhaps signaled by the Ravens the coyote is also drawn to investigate he can see the meal but there's no place for him to stand he can't feed on it a Grizzly sow in her cub find the carcass the Cub is in his third season and the sow is trying to wean him her motherly instincts are now dissipated although she will tolerate him enough to allow him to share this fine a hunting boar though makes it his business to check this out the Cub sees the boar as a dangerous threat the poor is interested in the female as well as the food because she is about ready for mating [Applause] the Cub has left he has now been weaned he's on his own after leaving their mother the sub-adults often stay together and continue their playful ways foreign these are actually preparations for more serious conflict later on these young Bears Skirmish in a half-hearted way next year the urge will deepen and develop into genuine rage even as sibling adults though they could eventually face each other in a vicious duel for dominance these hostilities almost always occur over food or mating a carcass is always a prize to protect and possess the competition can be fierce like sumo wrestlers these heavyweights of the Bear World push shove and bite until one gives up [Music] a coyote Waits his turn right but he is far down the pecking order at a Kill unexpectedly it is the loser of the fight that follows the coyote in a game of Hide and Seek [Music] grizzly bears have distinct personalities one called Thumper seemed to Delight in toying with Ravens he would bait them to the carcass then charge if he left the carcass for any reason he would continue his jealous watch foreign characteristic within the grizzly bear family [Applause] in Yellowstone the grizzly bear's habitat is both large and varied the bear can be found on the highest mountains at other times in the deep valleys stomach dictating where he will be found along the way the grizzly interacts with Wolves coyotes and all the other species that make up this unique Wild Sanctuary foreign [Music]

Channel: Free Documentary - Nature

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Keywords: Free Documentary, Documentaries, Full documentary, HD documentary, documentary - topic, documentary (tv genre), nature documentary, Free Documentary Nature, Nature, Wildlife Documentary, Animals, Animals Documentary, Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park, Yellowstone Documentary, Bears, Bear Documentary, Grizzly Bear, Grizzly Bear Documentary, Ursus Arctos Horribillis, Bears Documentary, North American Wildlife, Wild Animals, Wild Animals Documentary

Id: AuHoaMBPlas

Length: 52min 0sec (3120 seconds)

Published: Wed Dec 28 2022