Where the Wild Things Are: Jackson Hole Wildlife

Now that spring has finally come to Grand Teton National Park, all sorts of animals are on the move. We have been seeing hundreds of elk making their way across the sagebrush flats, coming back into the Park after wintering on the National Elk Refuge just north of town.

We had two cougars pass through our neighborhood a few nights ago, and have had several grizzly sows with cubs roaming the area.  My daughter Leith photographed one of these sow grizzlies recently, just before she led her two cubs into the raging Gros Ventre River.  Leith watched as the three were swept downstream but was relieved to see that eventually they made it safely across to the other side.

Then late this afternoon an enormous bull moose showed up here in our yard.  He’s a giant, with a good start on what will become some very impressive antlers!  Our home/float trip base is only a mile away from the Float Trip Parking Lot at Moose, so we keep our fingers crossed that this big fellow will show up along the river and will be seen by many floaters.

What an enormous privilege it is to have these wild neighbors all around us!

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