Seeing animals in the wild in their own habitat can be very rewarding, but some people don't respect animals in their own homes, such as three park visitors who disturbed a bison.
For tourons, the name given to tourists that disrespect the place they are visiting, getting too close to animals is becoming all too familiar. Actions like these have made parkgoers and Instagram users upset and stressed on multiple occasions.
In October, the Tourons of National Parks (@touronsofnationalparks) account posted a video of three visitors at Utah's Antelope Island State Park who were dangerously close to a bison. One visitor even jumped up, flinging their arms up to get a reaction from the huge animal. The bison was spooked and kicked up dirt. You can hear the person taking the video gasp at that moment.
The Tourons of National Parks account posted the rules of Utah's park, noting: "Mammals and birds on the island are sensitive to human disturbance. … Wildlife, especially bison, may be dangerous. Do not approach bison for any reason."
In 2019, two hikers were injured by bison a few months apart at Antelope Island. According to CNN, the first incident occurred when the hiker unexpectedly encountered two bison at the top of the trail and didn't have time to get away.
The hiker was stabbed by the animal's horn and was kicked and trampled on. He was lucky that the creature missed major organs, but he had broken bones.
A few months later, he returned to the park with a friend, and when they were separated, she spotted the bison and tried to keep a safe distance, but after cyclists apparently spooked the bison, one of them charged at her. Luckily, she is OK.
Notably, these incidents occurred when visitors didn't intentionally disturb the bison — unlike the (fortunately uninjured) tourists spotted in the Instagram clip.
Moreover, all forms of wildlife are crucial to the ecosystem, so people should respect them. One study found that reintroducing bison to habitats they were removed from had a profound effect. The analysis collected 30 years of data and found that bison grazing helped increase the native plant population by 103%. Those plants were also resilient to the worst drought in four decades.
Instagram users had a lot to say in the comments about these tourists' actions.
"There's no respect anymore," one stated sadly.
Another commented, "If anyone sees wildlife harassment, just contact the authorities. Enough calls and action will be taken."
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