A video showing tourists getting dangerously close to some elk has sparked outrage, highlighting the dangers of underestimating wild animals.
The team behind Good Bull Outdoors (@goodbulloutdoors) on Instagram shared a clip of a line of cars and people stopped on the road in Estes Park in Colorado, getting far too close to a herd of elk.
"I'm curious what logic convinces someone it's a good idea to get 2 feet from a rutting bull elk," they wrote in the caption.
Elk are among the largest species of deer and are beautiful animals, but if they're in their mating season — aka "rutting" season, as highlighted in the post — they can be incredibly dangerous.
Yellowstone National Park routinely warns visitors to avoid elk during mating season, as they can become unpredictable and aggressive, charging humans and damaging property. Earlier this year, a tourist taunted an elk in their car and ended up with a popped tire.
Elk and other large animals such as bison, bears, and even alligators have had their spaces invaded by overeager tourists trying to score the perfect picture or selfie for social media. But these encounters are not only dangerous to people, they can harm the wildlife by interfering with their natural behaviors. This makes them susceptible to vehicle strikes or having to be put down if they become too aggressive.
People in the comments were shocked and appalled at the swarm of tourists pressing to get close to the elk.
"I wouldn't get that close to them! You just don't know what they may do!" one person wrote.
Several people called the tourists "stupid" and mocked them for having "no logic at all" regarding wildlife safety.
Another person was disappointed in the disrespect of nature, writing: "I have visited Estes Park many times. Please give these beautiful animals some space. It's just sad to see this mob culture. This is their home we are just visiting."
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