VIDEO: Yellowstone Grizzly Eats Fresh Elk Carcass On Shore

Here at Distinctly Montana, we love to feature nature videos.  It helps us connect with Montana's wild heart and remember our place in the ecosystem.  In this case, the video is of a bear eating a bull elk, and just so you know, it can get a bit raw.  So please be advised that we advise viewers to use their discretion while watching this video.

Recently we showed you a grizzly bear chasing and killing a bull elk on the Yellowstone River.  In that video, the bear wages a war of attrition against the elk, tiring him out until he finally drowns, succumbing to the bear's superior strength.  

Now you get to see the bear enjoy the fruits of its labor.  

The bear has dragged the elk carcass into the shallows, and now he begins to nibble on it, tearing at the skin until he finds a soft enough piece of flesh that he can tear into it.  Often, the softest flesh for a predator are the stomach or genitals because there is no tough skin or bones to get in the way.  The bear begins there because it is the path of least resistance.

Visitors to Yellowstone National Park who were in the area reported that the grizzly stayed near his kill for days, alternating between sleeping and eating, as well as protecting his kill from other predators looking for an easy meal. 

At this stage in Autumn, bears are often trying to eat as much as possible to get their hibernation weight up.  It's all part of the biological cycle of Yellowstone, and an awesome and inspiring reminder of the sheer power of these remarkable animals. 

Have you ever seen a grizzly bear feed in the wild?  Leave a comment below!