A post in the subreddit r/Yellowstone has become a controversial point of conversation as a user posted an image of a tourist obliviously putting themselves in harm's way by photographing a bison.
"Pretty sure I saw over a hundred warnings to do exactly not this during my first visit today," wrote the exasperated OP in the caption. "To frequent visitors, does this s*** happen all the time?"
In the photograph, a tourist sits a few feet in front of the bison as they snap numerous photos. The bison is eating grass on the side of the road, not causing any harm.
To answer the OP's question, one Redditor responded "Yes [this] happens at every national park."
Tourists are often oblivious to rules that are in place not only to preserve the habitat for the wildlife, but also to stay safe as terrain and aggressive wildlife can easily hurt visitors.
From tourists getting up close and personal with a grizzly bear for the "perfect shot" to potentially fatal accidents from not minding the dangerous scenery, these occurrences mostly come from a lack of education surrounding national parks.
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After a recent incident reported by Unofficial Networks, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park Superintendent Rhona Loh said, "Your safety is our utmost concern, but we rely on everyone to recreate responsibly. National parks showcase nature's splendor but they are not playgrounds."
On the safety tab of Yellowstone National Park's Website, one of the rules is to never approach wildlife.
"The animals in Yellowstone are wild and unpredictable, no matter how calm they appear to be. The safest (and often best) view of wildlife is from inside a car. Always stay at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves, and at least 25 yards away from all other animals, including bison and elk," it specified.
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Stories of bison acting on their aggressiveness are not hard to find, while negligent acts by humans can destroy habitats and threaten the conservation of the parks.
"People literally think these animals are like a petting zoo, domesticated," wrote a Redditor.
Another responded to the OP's question emphatically: "[It] happens all the time. All the freakin' time!"
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