Yellowstone National Park is Wyoming’s top tourist destination, but it’s also a mostly pristine habitat for wild animals. That means visitors will often see nature play out in all its glory and tragedy.

Julie Argyle, the postmaster at Lake Village in the park, witnessed such a scene earlier this month. A majestic bull elk was hopelessly trapped in a muddy pond, slowly dying from exhaustion until Yellowstone rangers decided to end its suffering.

Then days later, several grizzlies battled each other over the carcass until a big bruin used its brute strength to drag the elk out of the mud. Argyle said it was a scene unlike anything she’s ever witnessed in Yellowstone.

“I’ve seen some pretty incredible things in the park, but that's the first time I've ever seen an animal stuck in the mud l

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