This video makes me giggle. Big ole cat is chased up a tree by a little coyote. Clearly her den was nearby. What I would give to witness this! On any given day there are more than 5,000 people camping in Yosemite (can be more than 8,000). Yes, that's daily. The area is home to some very habituated animals sadly but we don't hear about then dragging children off, and these critters in that park are not scared of people like the ones in mid rural areas.
Camping is not for everyone and that is OK. But i do think that those that don't camp or have never campers in an area like this may have a bit of a TV version of what it's like. I average 3 weeks a year camping, but sometimes closer to 5. While I have gotten to see lots of wildlife, some right next to my tent (yeah, it is exciting to wake up and find bear tracks all the way around your tent) I have also come to learn that I am not what they want for dinner, nor are the kids. Seeing large predators also does not happen on a regular basis, especially out in the more rural areas like where he went missing. Bison have big the biggest concern we have ever run into cuz they are not something you want to startle and it is very easy to walk around a corner or through the trees and have them be right there. I worry way more about then than American bears, wolves, cougars or grizzlies.
Because of both the amount of time I spend in the wilderness (in primitive camps, park campgrounds and backpacking) and on the SAR side, I have spent a whole lot of time educating myself, taking classes and talking to wildlife biologists to know as much as possible in order to keep myself, my family and my searchers safe.
By the same token, while I feel very comfortable with my knowledge of Western States animals, I would not go out on the East coast without consulting someone as I know their bears there are much different than ours. Same goes for Alaska.
I still highly doubt that an animal took him from camp while the family was right there. But, I would also hope that they would have checked for tracks just to help rule it out. They found the den which is not easy to do. I am guessing that at least one in the pack is collared and that is how. If that is the case then they can also tell where it/they have been. Searchers should have been looking for signs as they were going to avoid destroying any tracks of any sort, people or animal.
