Tuesday, March 22, 2022

Yellowstone National Park (5-18)


[1. 簡介] [2. 旅遊建議/食宿交通] [3. Sightseeing] [4. Winter Activities] [5. Wildlife Watching] [6. Day Hiking] [7. Other Activities] [8. Who's Who in the Park] [9. More about the Park] [10. 感想]


5. Wildlife Watching

[5-1. Grizzly Bear at Dunraven Pass] [5-2. Black Bear Watching] [5-3. Wolf/Grizzly Bear/Coyote in Hayden Valley] [5-4. Wolf/Grizzly Bear in Lamar Valley] [5-5. Elk in Rut at Mammoth Hot Springs] [5-6. Coyote at Lower Geyser Basin] [5-7. Bighorn Sheep at Gardner River Canyon] [5-8. Lamar Canyon Pack] [5-9. Pronghorn in Rut] [5-10. Red Fox] [5-11. Trumpeter Swan] [5-12. American Dipper] [5-13. White Wolf] [5-14. Violet-Green Swallow] [5-15. Mountain Goat] [5-16. Moose] [5-17. Great Gray Owl] [5-18. Wapiti Lake Pack] [5-19. Osprey above Lamar River] [5-20. Young Grizzly Bear by Obsidian Creek] [5-21. Bull Elk at Grand Canyon] [5-22. Bighorn Sheep at Yellowstone River Picnic Area]

5-18. Wapiti Lake Pack

IMG_2180 Wolf of Wapiti Lake Pack
Figure 5-18.1: Wapiti Lake Pack的其中一隻狼,可以看到這隻還被裝上了radio collar。

IMG_2183 Wolf of Wapiti Lake Pack, Yellowstone National Park
Figure 5-18.2: 雙方在近處對看了幾秒,之後這隻狼離開到較遠的地方。

IMG_2198 Wolf of Wapiti Lake Pack, Yellowstone National Park
Figure 5-18.3: 另一隻在遠處的黑狼。

IMG_2195 Wapiti Lake Pack
Figure 5-18.4: 遠處其實有不少隻狼,但大部分時候被地形擋住,不過三不五時會有其他的狼出現。

Yellowstone Wolf Pack Territories (from NPS)
Figure 5-18.5: 由NPS提供的2020年Yellowstone狼群分布圖,目前沒看到更新的版本。

2022年的三月初又到黃石走了一趟,比較期待看到的野生動物是red fox,雖然沒有如願,倒是在不算遠的距離看到了Wapiti Lake Pack這個這些年來常被公園遊客看到的狼群。根據現場人士的說法,這天大概在早上8:40am左右他們在Gardner River Canyon附近的馬路邊殺了一隻elk,並從那時候起整天一直待在這。

因為在Gardiner過夜,這天早上其實是有經過這,不過是在八點左右而沒遇上。這天我進公園後的第一件事是去Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel吃早餐,吃完後差不多是案發時刻,可惜旅館的餐廳沒有提供相關服務,不然吃完回頭到這剛好可以看到最精采的時刻。

運氣不算太差的是,在下午四點左右要離開公園時看到一大堆人聚集在馬路邊,用膝蓋想應該是有狼群,幸運的是附近還剩一個車位可以停,停好後走往聚集處馬上看到一隻狼。我估計跟這隻狼的最近距離大概在40公尺左右,如Figure 5-18.1與Figure 5-18.2所示,雖然我曾在更近的距離看到狼,但這已經算是相當近了。

IMG_4517 Visitors Watching Wapiti Lake Pack, Yellowstone National Park
Figure 5-18.6: 圍觀的群眾。

IMG_4522 Visitors Watching Wapiti Lake Pack, Yellowstone National Park
Figure 5-18.7: 馬路的另一側也有狼。

IMG_2222 Wapiti Lake Pack, Yellowstone National Park
Figure 5-18.8: 這年冬天Wapiti Lake Pack兵分兩路,馬路邊這兩隻狼是另外一群。

IMG_2212 Wapiti Lake Pack
Figure 5-18.9: 原先看到的這群出現更多隻狼。

IMG_2226 Wolf Howling, Yellowstone National Park
Figure 5-18.10: 有一段時間馬路兩旁的狼以狼嚎互相溝通,這張有抓到這個時刻。

三不五時殺掉elk或bison是狼群的例行公事,不過大都發生在backcountry,但總有幾次會發生在馬路邊,而這往往是欣賞狼的最佳機會。為了守護戰果,狼群會一直待在原地直到吃完整隻獵物才會離開,經驗上大概是一天左右。如果你剛好在那時間有在案發現場,通常可以好整以暇欣賞。

這時的Wapiti Lake Pack總共有十幾隻狼,不過大部分的狼都因為地形遮蔽而沒看到,只有一開始看到的那隻以及另一隻黑狼較常出現在視線內。這狼群還分成兩組,在觀賞了一陣子後看到另一組的兩隻出現在馬路的另一側。也許是因為我們這群人的關係,他們暫時沒有會合在一起,反而狼嚎互相溝通了一陣子,之後待在原地。

Wapiti Lake Pack最有名的是這狼群的alpha female,也是隻白狼,她是之前看過Canyon Pack白狼的女兒,不過這次並沒有看到這隻新一代的白狼就是。我一直看到天快黑才離開,隔天中午經過這時沒有看到任何圍觀群眾,想必狼群已經離開,只能期待下次再相逢。

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[5-1. Grizzly Bear at Dunraven Pass] [5-2. Black Bear Watching] [5-3. Wolf/Grizzly Bear/Coyote in Hayden Valley] [5-4. Wolf/Grizzly Bear in Lamar Valley] [5-5. Elk in Rut at Mammoth Hot Springs] [5-6. Coyote at Lower Geyser Basin] [5-7. Bighorn Sheep at Gardner River Canyon] [5-8. Lamar Canyon Pack] [5-9. Pronghorn in Rut] [5-10. Red Fox] [5-11. Trumpeter Swan] [5-12. American Dipper] [5-13. White Wolf] [5-14. Violet-Green Swallow] [5-15. Mountain Goat] [5-16. Moose] [5-17. Great Gray Owl] [5-18. Wapiti Lake Pack] [5-19. Osprey above Lamar River] [5-20. Young Grizzly Bear by Obsidian Creek] [5-21. Bull Elk at Grand Canyon] [5-22. Bighorn Sheep at Yellowstone River Picnic Area]

[1. 簡介] [2. 旅遊建議/食宿交通] [3. Sightseeing] [4. Winter Activities] [5. Wildlife Watching] [6. Day Hiking] [7. Other Activities] [8. Who's Who in the Park] [9. More about the Park] [10. 感想]

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