Tourons (tourists + morons) struck again, proving they care more about getting photos and videos of wildlife than their personal safety as well as the safety of wildlife and their habitats.
Instagrammer Truman West (@truman.west) sent a video to the Tourons of Yellowstone (@touronsofyellowstone) account that captured two tourists just feet away from a grizzly bear actively walking near them.
Grizzly bears are known to be more aggressive than black bears and typically rely on their larger size and aggression to protect themselves and their cubs, according to the National Park Service. Because of this, if a grizzly bear feels threatened, there is a chance it will resort to aggression rather than run away, which would be a bad situation for all.
This instance was unfortunately not a stand-alone occurrence, as there have been countless unsafe interactions between tourists and wildlife at Yellowstone as well as other places all over the world. Whether it is taunting a grizzly bear cub or a mama elk, actions such as these are harmful to wildlife and should not be tolerated.
Humans' disrespect for wildlife and park rules in Yellowstone also has serious consequences for the animals and ecosystems.
Take the trumpeter swan. There were once around 72 in Yellowstone, but their population dropped to 28 as of 2022, the NPS reported. One of the main factors that caused the decline was tourists who drove them out of their natural nesting habitats or scared them into lakes, where they became better targets of prey for eagles, as per this report in Rough Guides.
Grizzly bears that become too comfortable around and approaching humans can be euthanized by park rangers.
Tourists need to be more aware of their impacts when visiting national parks and interacting with wildlife in general.
"People are clueless. It's not a petting zoo!" one user commented.
Another user joked, "Apparently, they came on vacation and forgot to pack their brains!"
"When is the Park going to actually start giving fines to people who go out towards Bears, Bison etc for the thrill and Instagram photos?" another questioned.
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