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Yellowstone - A Haven for Wildlife

Thinking back to 300,000 years ago, when wildlife used to roam the vast lands free. There used to exist a natural chain of co-existence where the animals at the top of the food chain would hunt the animals at the lower rungs of the chain. Animals at the lowest rung would be worried about only couple of things - getting enough food to sustain through the tough winters and stay away from the pursuit of their predators. Since homo sapiens or humans in more simpler words started evolving and started taking their place in the food chain, a new kind of dynamic would come into place. Animals would start getting domesticated, insects would not only worry about predators but now also had to count for humans eating them (not that they have the kind of brain that would enable them to distinguish between any other predators). This would lead to a dynamic that is very much seen in Yellowstone today.

On our first day in Yellowstone, we see Bison up close not too far away from the road roaming in the highlands munching on the grass. It's the season of spring. Young bison are frolicking around their mothers running after their mothers and taking in the fresh air from the new leaves. The bison remind us of the cows we see on the drive from Salt Lake City to South Yellowstone that are grazing on the grass all day. On the second day in Yellowstone, we sit in a traffic jam caused by bison that are crossing the road. This is the new dynamic that animals have to live with in the 21st century. Even in National Parks, bison have to cross the road while curious humans who are advised to be more than 25 feet away from these wild animals still come much closer than comfort to the unpredictable bison. On our last day, we start searching for bears and wolves and others who have come to the park have figured out certain parts of the park where these animals like to hang out. Sitting with their long scopes, people are really friendly and allow you to also see through them. 

All these sights and sounds lead to a single conclusion that is the co-existence of humans and other species in the planet that we call Earth. Come to think of it, there is no other place in the universe (that we have found) where we see such co-existence. It is of great prudence then, that we humans give the animals that the space they deserve in order for them to not only survive but thrive on this planet.

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