We're here in Yellowstone National Park to follow some gray wolves and
observe the deadly brilliance of the pack. They’ve learned to cooperate,
hunting their prey with many acting as one pack. This mother grizzly knows
how to protect its cub and itself. Stand your ground. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t
let the gray wolves run you down. Grizzly mum stands up to the gray wolves.
And eventually, they lose interest. Stand up, hold your ground. Wolves
know that large prey can be dangerous if they fight back. What the wolves
want is to get their prey on the run. Like, for example this herd of elk.
Now, the wolves can fan out over the herd, waiting for an old or sick or
just unlucky elk to make a wrong move. The alpha male leads the hunt. He
bides his time, directing his troops. And eventually, one elk stumbles.
The hungry wolves quickly surround their faltering victim. They swarm in
for the kill, and then, the meal. Wolves are a vital part of a healthy
Yellowstone ecosystem. They filter out sick and weak animals in herds...and
help scavengers survive by providing leftovers from their hunts. This coyote,
however, is not only a scavenger but also a competitor, who's been interfering
with the kills of the pack. So once again, the wolves use cooperation to
guard their turf and drive out the intruder.