The yellow eyes of Yellowstone
Few are granted, in their lifetime, an encounter such as this. A series of moments woven together to make one grand experience. It’s poetic, really. This is the tale of a chance encounter with a yearling wolf in Yellowstone.
I was with a few friends, as one should never venture in grizzly country alone, and all was quiet. Until it wasn’t. There we were, standing in the wilds of Yellowstone when a gray wolf (Canis lupus) began trotting down a dusty, sage lined trail. In our direction. Every inch of my body was covered in goosebumps and all the more literal were the hairs standing up on the back of my neck. I was vibrating, radiating exuberance from the inside out.
It felt like I was screaming, but I was the quietest I’ve ever been. Nearly forgetting to breathe or blink.
The yearling didn’t show an ounce of hesitation as it crested the hill in our direction. Which, if I am being honest, gave me immediate pause.
You see, there is a hunting quota in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho for gray wolves which means they can be legally taken during hunting season. So, in circumstances such as this we want these animals to be hesitant and fearful of us. While they are safe within the park boundary in my presence, the same cannot be said for as soon as they leave the park. Comfort or habituation of a wild wolf can ultimately mean a dead wolf come hunting season.
There is a lot of nuance to this and every wolf encounter. And somehow these thoughts flooded over me as I was rapidly pressing the shutter button of my camera.Thought after thought developed as if I was already living in the consequential moments after these. And then I looked up from my camera and snapped back to reality.
The wolf dipped into a ravine and just as I’d concluded it changed direction like a bird in flight - there it was again. And so, I lifted my camera back up, raising my eyes every so often to live in these moments. Moments I never wanted to end.
Yellow eyes trotted towards us at an angle, setting itself up for what seemed like a backdoor escape if necessary. Smart. Wolves are very smart. The water dripped off its coat and I could almost hear the pitter patter of its paws impress the muddy ground as it trotted by.
The wolf passed; head up, ears forward, hackles down and tail neutral - all signs of ease and confidence.
I put my camera down once more and locked eyes.
Now, I’m not really religious. I guess I’d say I’m more spiritual. I believe in something I just don’t know what it is. But when I locked eyes with this wolf it felt like a sort of peace I’d never felt before. I imagine this is how people feel when they go to church, temple or worship.
It’s humbling to stand in the presence of an apex predator that we’ve evolved alongside for nearly 30,000 years. And it's the privilege of a lifetime each time my life crosses theirs. As if all the stars aligned in a synchronicity of wildness to bring two separate beings together in one single blip. For a few moments, we shared the same timeline. One the wolf is likely to forget, one that I simply never will. A moment that can never be duplicated or replicated was captured forever.
Yellow eyes.
The wolf continued by and paused for one final look as it sat perched on a hill. As if we were on some sort of reverse timeline - one where wolves are king and we are their subjects. A final moment of eye contact before it turned away and confidently trotted out of sight. As if it was never even there.
Funny how what feels like a lifetime fits into four minutes and twenty seconds.
It’s hard to ignore the intrinsic significance of an encounter like this. The significance of their presence on the landscape. The significance of being in the right place at the right time. The significance of a yearling wolf moving with ease amongst humans when it should be the opposite.
So — if you’re a photographer, storyteller or simply just appreciate the wild and photos of it - I hope you’ll join me in thinking more critically about the stories you tell and the photos you consume. I hope you’ll contemplate the spectrum of impact photography has.
Because it is not as simple as just pressing the shutter button or hitting “like.” The weight of the wild is on our shoulders.