Being held up in traffic can be frustrating at the best of times. But when the reason for the halt in momentum is for someone to take a picture near a bison, it's even more infuriating.
That's just what happened in the area around Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. One tourist stopped their vehicle in the middle of the road, exited their car, and mounted a grass verge to get a snap in close proximity to North America's largest land mammal.
In addition to drawing the ire of motorists, the would-be model in the picture also drew gasps from those watching the misguided move unfold.
"Oh. My. God," said one person in the background of video footage uploaded by one TikTok user HipMomEllie (@HipMomEllie).
"They're really dangerous" was the warning called by a concerned witness.
@hipmomellie Hope she at least got a good photo! 🤦🏻♀️#yellowstone #montana #wyoming #bison #dangerous #wildanimal #grandtetons #risky ♬ original sound - The house whisperer
Both Grand Teton's and Yellowstone's websites ask that visitors remain 25 yards away from wildlife at all times.
A 2,000-pound bison that can run 35 miles per hour would have had no trouble making up the ground to charge the snap's subject, who had their back turned to the enormous animal.
Commenters on TikTok were outraged by the video, with one saying, "This is why people get hurt. Morons."
"So scary," said another, while one user made good use of the "face palm" emoji in their comment.
While it was surely maddening to see this happen in real-time, HipMomEllie pointed out the person looking for a unique memento was so bold as to pose for the picture twice. Talk about tempting fate.
Bison harm more people at Yellowstone National Park than any other animal, so it's clear why it would implement strict rules about visitors' conduct around them.
You'd think that visitors to the United States national parks would have some consideration for the local wildlife, as well as a desire to protect them. Disrespecting the park's residents can have dire consequences not just for those who get too close, but for the animals themselves.
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