It was in the autumn of 1870 that the first official exploration party to Yellowstone began to plan for the creation of the world’s first national park, the beauty of Yellowstone’s autumn inspiring a complete change in the way we value the wild. 

 

For the last six weeks of strutting and herding, male elk/ have eaten almost nothing. They are exhausted. This bull has done well. He has successfully held on to his harem. And now the females are finally coming into season. But they are being distracted by another male.

 

If a bull elk can’t dominate all rivals, he can’t have access to the females and all his effort will have been in vain.