Saturday, April 19, 2008

Bison Going at It

Yesterday, I heard exclamations from outside the visitor center and turned in just in time to see a spectacular sight. Two male bisons in the Parade Ground decided to duke it out. I could practically see steam issuing from their snorting nostrils as they charged each other. If anyone has ever doubted that bison can run 30 mph from standing, I have now seen visual proof.

Their great, wooly heads slammed together before one of the bison took off racing around the visitor center. Not about to loose his macho might, the other charged after him, establishing who was the dominant buff in this town.

Seconds later the bison stormed around the back of the visitor center like two race cars on a speedway. They disappeared from view as they continued their chase and the 30 second excitement ended. Business went back to normal in the old VC, just as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Oh, but bison charging each other in the Parade Ground, in Mammoth, in April, is actually very out of the ordinary.