An Instagram user posted a video showing park visitors dangerously close to wildlife, and it's getting a lot of attention online because of the disrespect shown to animals.
The TouronsofYellowstone account (@touronsofyellowstone), which posts content showing tourists disrespecting posted signs and nature at large, posted a video showing several people taking pictures of a bison up close. They are standing on the boardwalk while the bison grazes beside it.
The video is captioned, "Yellowstone is not a ZOO! Keep back 25 yards from the bison."
As the user captioned their photo, the safety rules on the Yellowstone website state that people should stay at least 25 yards away from bison.
The website also said, "The animals in Yellowstone are wild and unpredictable, no matter how calm they appear to be."
According to USA Today, several animal attacks were reported in the spring of 2024, including in Grand Teton National Park, where two bears attacked a man. In South Dakota, a nine-year-old boy died after being attacked by feral dogs, and a raccoon attacked two people at a Pennsylvania amusement park, but luckily they only had minor injuries.
Animals can attack people when they feel threatened. Recent incidents have shown that people can be seriously hurt, and the animal can also be put down as a consequence of the attack.
Humans have encroached on so much wildlife that, according to the Smithsonian Magazine, "only about three percent of Earth's land ecosystems remain untouched by human activity."
Sadly, 7,500 animal species have also been lost. In the 28% of intact land habitats, "only about 2.9 percent of ecosystems have all the animal species that they did 500 years ago."
Unfortunately, there are several accounts of tourists getting too close to bison. In one instance, a man holding an iPad walked along cars to get to a herd of bison blocking traffic near Yellowstone Park to get a photograph of the animal.
While it's essential and fun to see nature, it's also crucial to vacation responsibly. That means following the park's safety rules, taking a train instead of a plane, and choosing eco-friendly travel destinations.
The users in the comments agreed with how disrespectful the park's visitors were.
One user said, "They'll either listen, or they'll learn."
Another said, "I get the excitement! Some of these people will never see a bison again in their lifetime. But they owe it to the animal and themselves to act in respect of them…always."
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