A video showing a tourist approaching and irritating a bison went viral on Instagram.
The account Tourons of Yellowstone (@touronsofyellowstone) shared the old footage of a woman trying to take a selfie with a lone bison.
The touron (tourist + moron) stopped within a few feet of the bison as it was standing by a group of trees. Startled by the woman's presence, the bison began charging toward her. Even after the woman fell while trying to run away, she still tried to take a picture with the animal.
"When will people ever learn to follow the rules?" one user commented. "There are signs EVERYWHERE in Yellowstone warning the tourists of the danger of getting too close."
Luckily, neither the woman nor the animal was injured during the encounter, but the incident highlights the importance of climate awareness.
"Why are HUMANS so stupid?" one user wrote.
A lack of respect for nature often leads to unsafe wildlife interactions like the one shared in this video.
When tourists take advantage of natural spaces where wildlife roam, they are not only putting themselves at risk but also the animals. If incidents like this escalate, humans can get severely injured, possibly resulting in the animal's euthanization.
Similar instances of tourists' endangering themselves and wild animals have occurred in national parks across the globe. A foal fell to its death on the Gower Peninsula in Wales when a group of tourists tried to get too close for selfies. The tourons kept moving closer toward the animal, scaring it and causing it to fall off the edge of a cliff.
In order to respect nature, wildlife interactions should always prioritize the safety of the animal and humans. Wildlife can be unpredictable, so it's important to keep a safe distance and respect their natural habitat.
After seeing the video posted by Tourons of Yellowstone, Instagrammers were frustrated by the woman's lack of respect for the bison.
"Can't blame the animal," one Instagrammer commented. "She's in his territory."
Another person said, "Near-death experience [and] she still stops for a photo!"
"Leave the wildlife alone," yet another Instagrammer commented. "How would you like it if I just came to your dinner table uninvited and too stupid to leave when asked to?"
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