A couple had their wedding at Glacier National Park interrupted when a bear caught and began devouring a moose in the middle of the ceremony. Just as the groom finished his vows at the lakeside service, guests heard a strangled cry from the opposite bank.
Photographer Stanton Giles, who was filming the ceremony, identified the source as a moose thrashing in the claws of a grizzly bear. In his video, which you can watch below, someone dryly comments that this is why they hadn't held the service on the north bank.
As Newsweek reports, the bear continued its noisy meal while wedding guests watch, and Giles reassures the groom that the camera had captured his vows in full despite the animal crashing through the woods.
Glacier National Park his home to both black bears and larger grizzlies. Despite their sharp teeth and long claws, grizzlies only occasionally prey on large animals like moose, with most of their diet consisting of grass, roots, berries, nuts, insects, and larvae.
The National Park Service explains that some of Glacier's grizzlies spend all summer in the lowland aspen groves and meadows, heading back to the high land to hibernate for the winter, while others make their way to the valleys in the spring to feast on young plants, spending the rest of their time in the high country.
Deliberately approaching within 100 yards (91 meters) of a bear at the park is prohibited, for the safety of both people and the animals. Instead, the NPS advises using binoculars or a telephoto camera lens to observe from a safe distance.
- Best binoculars and monoculars: for observing wildlife safely
