Coyotes are among my favorite critters to photograph in Yellowstone especially when they’re doing something other than just walking across a meadow. Yesterday we watched a pair of Coyotes crossing a rocky area off the road. We’d been photographing a stunning bull Elk and a short distance away first one Coyote, then a second, appeared. The first climbed atop a large moss and lichen covered granite boulder and drank from a depression in the top. A moment later, the first Coyote’s mate appeared and climbed atop the same boulder after the first had walked away. Sure enough, the second Coyote lapped at the water for a couple of minutes before quenching its thirst and joining its mate. The depression in the boulder apparently contained enough water to satisfy at least two Coyotes and it seemed to be familiar to both of them, not just a puddle they encountered. In essence, it’s a Yellowstone watering hole, not unlike watering holes seen in places like Africa that provide life sustaining hydration to critters like Elephants, Zebras, and Giraffes. It’s fascinating to me to witness these manifestations of natural behavior that point to the resourcefulness of wild animals and what they do to survive.