Yellowstone: Realm of the Coyote Page #3

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Here, grass still grows,

covered only by a thin layer

of snow that the bison can

plow with their heads.

But sometimes the snow hides ice

kept thin by the hot springs.

Buffalo can weigh up to a ton.

But their legs are

narrow and pointy.

On thin ice,

that's a treacherous combination.

Every step may be

a step toward disaster.

In Yellowstone, the things that

give life can also claim it back.

There's nothing the herd can do...

...no lifeline the can throw.

It will take the buffalo nearly

four hours to drown.

Death is a long time coming

on the high plateau.

Deep into the month of April,

winter lashes the park

one last time.

Yellowstone is chilled,

frozen under a great white cloud.

Temperatures drop to 40 below.

This is beyond cold.

This is an assault

on all things living.

If a coyote knows loneliness...

this must be the loneliest time.

But a new season is on its way.

With every passing day,

huge cracks rend the ice and

shatter the crust of winter.

Cain has made it through

a trying season.

But now he must do more than

simply endure.

He needs a mate, a pack,

a territory to call his own.

Sooner or later he must find these,

for without them,

his life will be desolate and brief.

With the coming of spring,

food is emerging everywhere.

And Cain is on the prowl.

As the snow retreats,

carcasses are revealed.

Among them, the bison that drowned

in the winter.

Freezing waters have preserved

the carcass, and with the thaw,

it's reappeared just in time

to catch Cain's eye.

The new season feeds

on the remains of the old.

A bear emerges from hibernation.

It's time for breakfast.

Only this fast has been

four months long.

And a solo coyote can figure

the odds.

The grizzly settles down

to enjoy Cain's meal.

As the thaw continues,

white turns to gold,

and then to green...

...and the dance of spring goes on.

With great urgent leaps,

the cutthroat trout migrate up

the Yellowstone River.

Many will end up as food

for predators along the banks.

Like the osprey

the magnificent fish hawk.

In a land of hunters,

the osprey is one of the greatest

with feet that grasp like pincers...

the perfect tool for holding on

to a slippery fish.

Every morning, the river

brings a new feast to

the osprey's door.

And for Cain, for all those that

dwell in Yellowstone...

...the first murmur of spring

has now turned into

a full-throated roar.

With so much food in abundance,

life is flourishing everywhere.

Newborns have also appeared

at Cain's old pack.

Two months of gestation

have led to this:

Five new members of the pack,

five potential partners,

five potential rivals.

All around Cain,

families are springing up.

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