Bear meets Bison

Northern British Columbia is so incredibly wildlife-rich. In certain areas, it’s not uncommon to see a plethora of large mammals in a single day, including bears and Wood Bison. However, this was my first time ever seeing those two species cross paths. As the “cinnamon” Black Bear made its way towards a resting Bison herd, the bison one-by-one stood up and began to walk towards the bear. The bear kept walking until the Bison were about 15 metres away, at which point it turned around and sprinted in the opposite direction. Wood Bison are the largest land mammals in North America, and a big male can grow to be up to 10 feet long, 6 feet tall, and weigh over 2000 pounds. Even the calves of the year were roughly the size of the Black Bear, so this encounter was definitely not in favour of the bear. Despite their reputation, Black Bears are primarily herbivores that tend to run away from any trouble they think they can get away from.