18th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Smoky Breath of the Wolf

This member of the Wapiti Lake wolfpack had emerged from the trees near where I was standing, and trotted out into the sagebrush in western Yellowstone National Park. The wolf turned partways to howl, and smoke from the hydrothermal vents appears to be coming out of its mouth.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2020
Date Uploaded: 11.2020
Photo Location: Wy, United States of America
Camera: Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
Copyright: © Loren Merrill