I've learned something new today. Sometimes wolves in Yellowstone National Park "test" elk. I always thought it was called hunting, but I was wrong as a new video proves.

Jackson Hole EcoTour Adventures shared this recent encounter in Yellowstone. It shows 3 wolves checking out a couple of bull elk. The guide does a good job providing play-by-play on what you'll see. As he mentions, the video itself was shared with them by naturalist and fellow tour guide Laura Krusheski. Spoiler alert: no bull elk were harmed in this video and the wolves are fine, too.

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It's interesting that he mentions that older elk are prime targets later in winter. The perception is these wolves were just testing these elk to see if one might have a limp or show some sign of weakness that would indicate a kill would be possible.

The guide also mentions that many believe these wolves might be remnants of the Huckleberry Pack. That makes sense based on something I saw shared by Wyoming Game and Fish that mentions members of this pack have been more visible in the park recently. Game and Fish lists around a dozen wolves currently a part of that pack.

It doesn't matter if you love or loathe the wolf population in Yellowstone. These animals are a fascinating part of the ecosystem in the park and it's hard to imagine that land without them now that they have been reintroduced for the past 25 years.

NEXT UP: 10 Absolute WORST Tourist Incidents at Yellowstone National Park

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