Chapter 42: Mackenzie Wolves (XI)
The volcano in Yellowstone National Park is a super active volcano with an estimated eruption cycle of 600,000 to 800,000 years.
After a volcanic eruption, tons of ash are left behind, which transforms into nutrient-rich fertilizer and nourishes the surrounding ecological environment.
Because of this, even when the temperature drops to dozens of degrees below zero in winter, there is still fertile green grass near the crater, attracting large numbers of herbivores to come for food.
Among them are American bison weighing more than 2,000 kilograms.
American bison have lived in this land for more than one million years and have long evolved a body shape that is most suitable for the local natural environment.
They rely on their huge bodies to store fat to provide energy for the body and maintain body temperature in winter.
The American bison is covered with short, dense hair all over its body, including its face.
This allows the bison to bury their faces in the cold snow and gnaw on the grass roots hidden underneath, surviving the severe cold with amazing physical strength and perseverance.
Throughout North America, there is only one animal capable of hunting such powerful bison.
The herd of bison walking on the snow suddenly raised their heads and observed the snowfield vigilantly.
It smelled the scent of its natural enemy.
The wolves were approaching rapidly.
Wolves gathered in large families are a deadly threat to bison in any season.
In spring and summer, wolves are best at breaking up herds of bison and killing lone calves.
When winter comes, the ambitious top hunters will change their targets from calves to the strong and fat bison themselves.
In other seasons, wolves would not easily target strong male bison that can easily stab or kick adult wolves to death.
Whenever heavy snow covers Yellowstone National Park, wild wolves that have been dormant for half a year will come out in droves.
The wolves are growing, the bison are consuming.
Now, the strong and the weak have switched.
The cattle sensed the approaching danger and immediately sped up their running speed, running towards a more open area.
However, the snow that was higher than the cow's hooves made running difficult.
Canines, by contrast, can 'leap-run' through the snow.
After the four wolf claws landed on the ground, it immediately arched its body and bounced up, then stretched its body as much as possible, using its length to move faster and minimize the resistance caused by the snow.
The bison herd could sense from the smell of the wind that the hunters were getting closer and closer and would soon catch up with them.
They ran as fast as they could towards the open, snow-free geyser area, secretly praying that the wolves they encountered this time would be vulnerable.
Although bison are herbivores, they are not docile and have very strong attack power.
If it encounters a small pack of wolves, it can easily kill them.
According to data, in the past 15 years, the number of attacks and injuries caused by bison in Yellowstone Park is five times that of grizzly bears.
Finally, the snow ahead gradually became lighter.
Accompanied by two wolf howls, the hunter behind also appeared in the bison's sight.
The ones responsible for leading the charge were not male wolves, but two female wolves in their prime.
Behind them was a hunting group of 19 gray wolves.
Except for Christine, who was unable to travel long distances due to a leg injury and stayed in the territory to take care of the cubs.
All members of the Alliance Wolf Pack who have hunting abilities will participate in this "Big Wolf Pack Qualifying Tournament", including...
A black fur ball was lying on the white fur's back, holding its neck tightly with its paws, trying hard not to be thrown off by the jumping wolf.
The chase began, and the slow dog car was upgraded to a super-fast wolf car in minutes, allowing Yu Yiyun to experience the thrill of riding a roller coaster.
When Baimao smelled the scent of prey, he didn't care about the wolf cub on his back at all. His two eyes were filled with the prey and the princess respectively.
This hunt is not just about the future survival of the wolves.
Baimao knows very well that he must perform well in this life-and-death hunt and show his wolf king-level bravery to his friends!
Only in this way can you gain the love of the alpha female wolf.
As the snow became lighter, the bison ran significantly faster.
Even though the wolves behind them tried desperately to catch up, they were still allowed to escape to the geyser area where the temperature was higher, the terrain was more open, and it was more favorable for the bison.
The difficulty of hunting suddenly increased.
The two leaders did not change their goals and showed their determination to win.
They set their sights on the largest and most powerful male bison at the front of the herd.
In addition to her immense confidence in the strength of the alliance, Theresa knew clearly that only bison weighing more than 2,000 kilograms could allow the wolf pack to survive this month.
They had not eaten for four days. If they only caught an underage calf or a skinny cow, it would mean that they would have to work hard for prey in the days to come.
The queen made a decision and gave the order to the wolves to attack.
Yu Yijun seized the opportunity, jumped off the white-haired beast's back, and rolled onto the soft grass.
Fortunately, he ate a lot before winter, so even after being hungry for two whole days, his body was still round and resistant to falls.
——Why was the wolf cub only hungry for two days?
Even though he had grown from a pig to a dog, Yu Yiyun still kept the habit of storing food.
However, the living habits of wolves are different from those of solitary tigers, as there are simply too many mouths to feed.
Even if the black fur ball grew four more paws, it would not be able to store so much meat.
Before the snow covered Yellowstone, he buried all the beavers, otters, and rabbits he hunted in the snow, and also collected many plant fruits.
When he was hungry, he took out all the stock, which was barely enough to feed the cubs and the ravens.
The big wolf was so hungry that his eyes turned green, and the saliva that kept flowing from the corners of his mouth froze into icicles. He forced himself not to snatch food from the growing dog.
Even so, the food Yu Yiyun had was only enough to keep the Paw Patrol 70% full.
The pig, who had almost never gone hungry in his previous life, finally realized the advantages of living alone.
It’s so hard to support a family, woooo…
Yu Yiyun rolled into the grass, and Baimao sped up again, rushing forward with the two leaders to disperse the herd of four cows.
Bison often deal with gray wolves and are familiar with the tactics used by these cunning hunters.
The cattle did not do as they wished at first, but instead gathered together and fought back hard.
The bison that was targeted relied on its own strength and thought that the wolf pack was small and would definitely not dare to attack it.
The bison knew that once the wolf leader locked on a target, he would not change his mind easily.
The leading male bison turned around, lowered its head, and pointed its sharp horns at the wolves, trying to stop them from rushing over and besieging their target prey.
Unexpectedly, the male bison rushed to the center of the wolf pack and found that the wolves did not continue to chase their companions, but instead surrounded them to restrain their actions.
The three main forces that had just run out were retreating at the fastest speed and rushing towards him.
At this moment, Bison finally realized that this group of presumptuous bastards actually dared to target him!
The male bison made a dull 'moo', obviously irritated by these dogs.
Its ability to lead the herd on migrations and maintain its weight in the cold winter are enough to prove that this bison is the winner this year.
It defeated countless male bison and won status and breeding rights with its absolute strength. How could it be afraid of a wolf whose weight is less than a tenth of its own?
Once a male bison is enraged, it will even kill its own kind without mercy.
What's more, it is surrounded by its natural enemies.
The bison was like a berserker with full attributes, charging around recklessly, preventing the wolves from attacking. Several wolves were injured because they couldn't dodge in time.
For a moment, the 21 wolves were unable to approach the bison.
It was winter and the bison breeding season had passed, so Blackball's method of dealing with the moose was naturally useless.
All the wolves could do was surround the bison and wear down its strength bit by bit.
But it's not easy.
Wolves are good at tug-of-war, but bison are even better at it.
Whether facing the cold or hunger, the strong bison can hold out longer than wolves.
The chase lasted for more than two hours.
Some wolves were already showing signs of fatigue, but the bison were still full of energy and were extremely aggressive.
At this point, something worse happened.
The bison's three companions gathered nearby and were reluctant to leave, as if looking for an opportunity to rescue the trapped bison.
Another pack of wolves followed the scent of prey and ran towards this direction.
In the winter when food is scarce, wolves often fight over prey.
If other bison rushed to rescue their companions, or if other wolf packs came and took advantage of the alliance's weakness to snatch prey, it would be a fatal blow to them.
Right now, there are only two options.
Or give up the prey.
Either a quick victory or a quick resolution.
The family members needed to eat as soon as possible. Having come to this point, Theresa and the eldest princess absolutely could not give up the prey.
Then, there is only one way before them.
The two female leaders issued orders at the same time. The wolves that were circling just now received the signal and pounced forward desperately.
Yu Yiyun climbed up a large rock and quickly analyzed the battle situation and terrain in his mind, thinking about possible plans.
Although he had no experience in dealing with American bison, in the last few months as a South China tiger, Yu Yiyun had already achieved a record of killing a Qinling bison alone.
Compared with American bison, the free-range wild cattle in the Qinling Nature Reserve are slightly inferior in size and attack power, but their weaknesses and behavioral patterns are similar.
Bison can be easily angered and lose their temper.
Their hooves are strong but not sturdy enough, and the proportions of their legs to their bodies are not as advantageous as those of canines.
Legs that are too thin are not only prone to injury, but once injured, they will not be able to support the overly large body.
Whether it is the cows in America, Asia, or Africa, once they fall, it is difficult for them to get up again.
The members of the alliance wolf pack were brave enough. Even the foreign wolf that joined at the end bravely pounced from behind to get food, risking breaking its ribs and biting its hind legs tightly.
Unfortunately, the wolf's bite force is not as strong as that of a tiger, so it cannot bite off a bison's neck or spine in one bite.
As the bison retains its attack power, its chances of winning are worrying.
In this case, we must find a way to weaken the bison.
Yu Yijun was so anxious that he called out "Ah Woo Ah Woo" to the raven and gestured with his paws for a long time. Finally, the raven understood what he meant and flew into the sky to search for what the wolf cub wanted.
Soon, the raven found its target and cawed at him a few times.
Yu Yiyun looked over there, determined the distribution of that area, and quickly jumped off the big rock.
“Ah!”
The wolf cub howled loudly.
In the melee, only Theresa noticed the puppy's barking and took the time out of her busy schedule to glance at him.
The puppy turned around, pointed its butt diagonally at the queen, and howled twice in a certain direction.
“Woo!”
After all, after spending two months with the cunning wolf cub, Theresa understood what he meant and immediately raised a high-pitched voice, ordering the entire wolf pack to change their strategy.
After so many successful collaborations, the queen has enough trust in the wolf cub's tactics.
The eldest princess noticed the small movement here, and also cooperated with the new tactics, blowing a special code that only the wolf pack could understand, changing the wolf pack from "containment" to "driving away".
Although the bison knew that the hunters were cunning, they could not understand the secret code.
Seeing that the wolves' attack had weakened and a gap for escape had appeared in front of them, the bison immediately ran towards that position.
After running nearly two kilometers, the wolves were still chasing him.
A gentle slope appeared in front of him and the bison immediately rushed over.
Just as I was about to slide down the slope, suddenly, a wolf howl was heard from the left.
The bison was startled by the sudden sound and subconsciously thought that the wolves were ambushing, so it hurriedly spread its hooves and ran in the opposite direction.
As a result, after running a few steps, his leg suddenly tripped and he could not move forward.
Only then did the bison discover that the accumulated water under the slope was slightly corrosive.
Over the years, the surrounding rocks have been corroded into a soft layer of soil that is prone to collapse and cannot support the 2,000-pound weight of the bison.
When he realized it, his legs went weak and the whole cow fell forward heavily.
The wolves caught up with it, baring their sharp fangs and piercing its body mercilessly...
“Moo——!”
The cries of grief could be heard from far away. The watching cattle knew that the situation was hopeless, so they lowered their heads and left silently.
The wolves that were running towards them saw the prey that the alliance wolves had obtained. Although they were drooling with envy, they did not dare to rush over to pick up the spoils.
One can imagine the strength of this wolf pack, as they were able to hunt such a huge bison.
The new wolves had no choice but to tuck their tails between their legs and follow the scent left by the cattle to start their own qualifying round.
Whitehair bit the bison's throat, making sure it took its last breath.
The entire wolf pack dared to open their mouths. Each of them was as tired as a dog, lying beside their prey, panting heavily with their tongues hanging out.
The black-haired ball, who had just run, ambushed, and finally exhausted the buffalo's physical strength with everyone else, was also exhausted and panting.
For dogs, appetite always outweighs fatigue.
Even if he is so sleepy that he will die if he doesn’t sleep, the black fur ball will definitely wait until he has finished his meal before going to sleep, just like a full ghost.
Seeing that the other wolves had no intention of starting the meal, Yu Yijun squeezed in between Theresa and the eldest princess without hesitation and enjoyed his food first.
The two female leaders had no objection at all to their family members skipping over them and eating first.
Seeing that the wolf cub's teeth were too weak and he had been tearing at the cowhide for a long time without any success, the eldest princess considerately bit a hole for her brother and then fell on the white-haired body and continued to breathe.
The wolf lying at the bottom level a little further away was extremely envious when he saw that the black-haired ball could eat before the leader.
Although they were envious, they dared not go over and challenge the queen's authority.
After joining the wolf pack for a few days, they have clearly realized:
The black wolf cub is not only respected as the leader by the dog team, but also has an absolute status in the group, even though he is only 7 months old.
After Yu Yiyun turned into a dog, he never tasted steak again. He had been craving for it for a long time!
He used his claws and teeth to try to tear off a piece of hot beef, and was so happy that he almost wanted to run around Yellowstone twice.
Thinking about the circumference of Yellowstone, Yu Yiyun quickly calmed down, put away his suicidal thoughts, and fed the second piece of meat to Boss Crow.
The crow boss, who always eats the first bite of meat, tightened his claws on the black fur ball's head with some dissatisfaction.
After tasting the fat, hot and tender beef, it instantly decided to forgive the whole world and happily flew around the wolf cub several times.
——Oh my god, I’m finally living a good life!
Theresa and the eldest princess were resting in the arms of their respective partners.
Seeing the wolf cub eating with such happiness on his face, the two girls were infected by his kindness and got up to invite everyone to eat together.
Although this hunt was hard, the rewards were definitely worth it!
For the next half month, the wolves didn't have to worry about prey.
Wolves are not good at moving prey all the way, so until the bison are finished eating, the large group will stay here to guard the prey, and send the bottom wolves to fill up the food and go back to feed the wolves remaining in the territory.
The geyser area where they are located is one of Yellowstone's popular scenic spots.
The unique sight of no snow even in temperatures of dozens of degrees below zero is fascinating to humans.
Therefore, even though the temperature in Yellowstone is very low in winter, there are still photographers and sporadic tourists.
The wolves stayed here for half a month and took a lot of video footage.
Soon, new posts about them appeared on wolf lovers' forums.
[Breaking News: Theresa won the Big Wolf Pack Qualifying Tournament! ]
1L: Congratulations to Queen Theresa! She is the first female leader to win the qualifying round this century. Her hunting target is still a super large individual weighing more than 1,000 kilograms. The score of the Queen's team has increased epically!
9L: Don't rush to brag about Teresa on the first post, or you'll get slapped in the face. A medium-sized wolf pack with only 11 wolves is definitely not capable of hunting down a male bison in its prime in the first month of winter. All the photos taken by photographers and tourists show that there are more than just Teresa's wolf pack at the scene.
14L: What the 9th floor means is that there were two wolf packs targeting a bison at the same time, but the two wolf packs did not fight each other, but instead hunted together in peace, right?
You think too much of the wolves. In that situation, eliminating potential competitors is more important than hunting.
26L: Oh, many cases in the past have proved that it is not impossible for two wolf packs to cooperate.
35L: I agree with the 26th floor. The photographer who has been closely following Theresa's wolf pack posted photos on his personal account a few days ago, speculating that the Queen has a reliable ally.
43L: Ally? Is it the bad-tempered male next door? I hate him.
51L: How is that possible? Pointing to the Weeping Grave Building of the wolf pack next door, they dispersed last month.
55L: Family members, look what I found. After reprocessing the photo with photo editing software, you can see that the wolf walking with Theresa seems to be the eldest daughter of Wolf King Adam!
67L: Not only the eldest princess, but also the two little wolves are here. They are still alive, so good!
74L: My favorite revenge drama hero, Jin Tong, is also here. Look at the white-haired wolf’s back!
80L: Hahahaha! We, the Golden Eyes, are everywhere to join in the fun!
By the way, the white wolf seems to be the prince of the largest wolf pack in Yellowstone. Because of his good looks, he has his own fan base before he even reaches adulthood, and everyone is waiting for him to ascend the throne and become the Wolf King.
Unexpectedly, after the summer, the prince suddenly left home and wandered around.
91L: I am a little disappointed that the prince did not stay at home to inherit the wolf pack, nor did he form a new wolf pack with the stray female wolf. Instead, he joined Theresa's wolf pack.
103L: No, no, no! All the photos show that the Crown Prince is closer to the Princess Royal. The Princess Royal and Theresa are always side by side, proving that they are not subordinate to each other.
122L: Can I guess that after the eldest princess reunited with her family, she re-established the wolf pack and then formed an alliance with Theresa?
137L: The guess on the 122nd floor is roughly correct. Animal experts have analyzed all the video data and come to a conclusion that everyone will find absurd:
Before the eldest princess returned to the family, the two wolf packs had already formed an alliance.
The one who formed the alliance was not the eldest princess, nor Christine, but the long-awaited protagonist of the revenge story, the little black wolf.
149L: Wait, you mean that Jintong, who was only 5 months old at the time, persuaded Theresa's wolf pack of 11 wolves to establish an alliance?
Even if Jin Tong can do all this, why did Theresa agree?
156L: Theresa likes to keep puppies because their golden eyes are cute. (I can't think of any other reason except this)
168L: I think this possibility exists.
If you look carefully at the hunting video released by the photographer, when the wolves and the bison were at their most tense, a small black shadow appeared in front of Theresa, and then the wolves changed their plan.
It is reasonable to speculate that Theresa may have adopted Jintong's tactics at that time.
175L: ...Oh my God, could it be that Jintong inherited Adam’s soul as the Wolf King?
181L: When Adam was seven months old, he was still chasing his mother to beg for food. Jin Tong can do these incredible things. I think he must be the wolf god in the oriental legend!
192L: Instead of discussing the theories of ghosts and gods, shouldn’t we discuss the results of the Big Wolf Pack Qualifying Tournament?
If two wolf packs succeed in hunting together, it cannot be counted as an individual achievement, and I unilaterally declare that they have failed in the challenge.
200L: Why are you the one to announce this?
They kill far more bison than some 'big' wolf packs, don't you see that?
210L: Who cares about the big wolf pack you identified? !
By this time next year, our Queen's Wolf Pack and Princess's Wolf Pack will each hunt a bison to shut up those idiots!
.
The delicious bison meat took more than half a month to eat. The thrifty wolves gnawed even the bones till they were almost done, and then they reluctantly left the remains.
The scavengers who were finally able to gather around to pick up the garbage looked at the skeleton without a trace of flesh and silently cursed the Taotie as it walked away.
Hunting bison is like investing in stocks. The rewards are high but the risks are great. If you are not careful, you can lose everything.
The alliance wolf pack has limited strength, and will not easily start a challenge unless they can find red deer.
When Yu Yiyun returned home, his body had obviously become rounder and his physique was bigger than that of the spoiled kid in Theresa's house.
In the blink of an eye, half of Yellowstone’s winter is over, and spring will come after the New Year.
Among the four seasons, Yu Yiyun likes spring the most.
Spring means warmth, vitality, and also——
Finally there is a cuddly little puppy to suck~!!!
Yu Yijun blinked her starry eyes and looked at her sister's belly with anticipation. She was even more excited than Baimao, who was about to become a father.
This put Baimao, who had just successfully ascended to the throne not long ago, under tremendous pressure.
I always feel that if my partner fails to give birth to puppies successfully, the black fur ball will nail himself to the pillar of shame and curse "triploid watermelon" three times in the morning, noon and night.
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