It was late June as I was out exploring Yellowstone's Lamar Valley, looking for wildlife. 

A bull bison grazed just across the Lamar river and showed an interest in crossing the river.  I pulled over and sat myself down along the river bank hoping for the best.  Patience paid off about 15 minutes later when he entered the river and started crossing over to my side!  

I started taking pictures of the bison swimming across when I heard a familiar sound.  The sound of an elk calf calling its mother.  However, there was no elk in sight in the Lamar valley ...

Across the river, an elk calf had apparently been hiding in the brush.  Strangely enough, it stood up and attempted to follow the bison into the river!

The calf looked all wobbly on its big legs and I feared for the worst, seeing how fast the river was running and how deep it was judging by the bison's attempt.

The bison made it safely across and started grazing on my side of the river.  The elk calf struggled, advanced a little, struggled some more and finally made it safely across, heading straight for the bison.  Did it confuse the bison with its mom? Hard to think so.

The bison however wasn't having any of it.  He turned and saw the noisy elk calf swimming in his direction.  You'd think he could care less but no, he walk back into the water, straight towards the calf and it almost looked like he was preventing the calf from safely exiting the water!

Of course, those are the kind of moments when you really feel for the calf but, no matter how hard nature can be, we cannot interfere.

I was happy to see the bison pull back and allowing the calf to walk out of the river.  It was visibly shivering because of the cold river and still calling for its mom; apparently confused that the bison acted the way it did.

If there's one thing an elk calf shouldn't do, is draw attention to itself when it's all alone and vulnerable.  Luckily, it bedded down in high grasses and got quiet.  I kept my distance and left the scene.  When I drove by the next day, the calf was nowhere to be seen. Hopefully it was reunited with its mom.

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