In your lifetime, you will never get closer to a Yellowstone wolf pack than a trail cam did recently. It quite literally got cleaned up thanks to a gray wolf who decided to give it a licking.

This video shared on Facebook this past week shows a wolf pack passing by with one gray wolf taking a particular interest in the trail camera.

Get our free mobile app

The group that shared the video on Facebook is obviously on the side of those who believe the wolf introduction back into the Yellowstone National Park ecosystem over 25 years ago was a good thing. Not everyone sees it that way especially ranchers near to the park who have had cattle affected by the hunting packs that roam outside of the confines of Yellowstone.

No mention is made of which Yellowstone National Park wolf pack was seen on the trail cam. The most likely would be Junction Butte or Wapiti as they are the two most common and prominent wolf packs in the park.

No matter what your opinion is on the wolf issue, there's no denying they are beautiful animals that are interesting to see when they're living in their element.

LOOK: Stunning vintage photos capture the beauty of America's national parks

Today these parks are located throughout the country in 25 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The land encompassing them was either purchased or donated, though much of it had been inhabited by native people for thousands of years before the founding of the United States. These areas are protected and revered as educational resources about the natural world, and as spaces for exploration.

Keep scrolling for 50 vintage photos that show the beauty of America's national parks.

RANKED: Here are the most popular national parks

To determine the most popular national parks in the United States, Stacker compiled data from the National Park Service on the number of recreational visits each site had in 2020. Keep reading to discover the 50 most popular national parks in the United States, in reverse order from #50 to #1. And be sure to check with individuals parks before you visit to find out about ongoing, pandemic-related safety precautions at www.nps.gov/coronavirus.

More From Mix 104.3