Yellowstone is home to a small cougar population, but theyare rare and seldom seen. The noisy ruffed grouse or “thunder chicken” is far less elusive, as the males “drum” their wings loudly in the breeding season, advertising their presence to any nearby female birds.

Forged by the volcanic heat that still bubbles at the heart of this great American wilderness, the mighty Yellowstone was the first of America’s National Parks. Located mostly in Wyoming, it is a place where bison roam free and the gray wolf has returned, re-establishing the natural order of the ecosystem.