Bystander stunned after catching Yellowstone tourist going off-trail for bison selfie: 'Where are the rangers?'

Bison are grand, lovely creatures, and it makes sense that people want to get good pictures of them if they see them at national parks.

However, going off-trail to take a selfie with one from way too close isn't safe. That's what one tourist did in a video reposted by Tourons of Yellowstone (@touronsofyellowstone), originally recorded by John Putrino (@manbythesea). The poster noted that the person first zoomed up on an e-bike, then went off-trail, then got too close to the bison for photos and selfies.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by TouronsOfYellowstone (@touronsofyellowstone)

Not only does getting too close to wild animals pose a risk to humans if the animal panics and runs or attacks, but it's also dangerous for the animals, too. The National Park Service explained that animals that get too used to interacting with humans can get injured, suffer gastrointestinal issues after eating human food, and even get illnesses from humans that are deadly to the creatures.

Sometimes, animals that have too much human interaction, particularly those that eat human food regularly, can become dangerous. They may even need to be euthanized by park rangers if they prove too much of a threat.

Think this doesn't happen? Think again. It happened with a young black bear in Oregon and a bison calf that a tourist put in their car in Yellowstone. Those are only two recent incidents of tourist and animal interactions that ended badly.

If tourons (a hybrid of "tourist" and "moron") bother you, there are some things you can do to help. Vote for pro-climate candidates who will make the necessary laws to protect these animals. You can support installing wildlife crossings to keep animals as safe as possible in national parks and make sure you and your friends educate yourselves about what not to do in the parks before you visit one.