If you ever see a bison in real life and think something along the lines of “I should go pet that” or “I think taking a selfie with that animal would be a good idea” maybe this video will help you understand the truth. If a big ol’ grizzly is scared enough of a bison to book it in the opposite direction when it sees one coming, you should be able to respect the animal enough to keep your distance.
Just for reference, a grizzly bear can weigh up to around 700 pounds, while a full grown bison bull can weigh up to 2000 pounds. On top of that, both bison and grizzlies can move at speeds of around 35mph, so the bear, aside from just naturally being a predator, doesn’t have much of an advantage in this situation. If I was that bear, I’d be hightailing it out of there.
It is interesting to see how the bear heads directly up hill when it sees the bison headed its way. Does the bear understand that it can handle both the climb and the rough terrain better, and that’s why it heads that way?
Image credit: Pete Speers via YouTube