Approaching wild animals is not only obnoxious but also dangerous. We can hope these two "tourons" — tourists + morons — learned their lesson.
The popular Tourons of Yellowstone Instagram account shared a scary and maddening encounter between two humans and a moose in Big Sky, Montana, earlier this year.
The person who shot the video lit into the irresponsible nimrods with expletive after expletive, but the attention-seekers continued their misconduct.
When one got too close, the moose turned and went after the perpetrators. The tourons were not identified.
"That's how they learn," one user commented.
Two people behind the recording noted the huge creature was a wild animal.
"Let it be wild," one said.
The other said it was likely "getting scared."
Moose are common in one of the Treasure State's tourism hotspots, and visitors should always give them the respect they deserve.
Moose — an Algonquin word that means "twig eater" — injure more people than any other wild animal in the Americas. They are the largest member of the deer family and can run 35 miles per hour.
There are about 300,000 moose in the United States, and they are the tallest mammals in North America.
Wild animals should never be approached, and that is especially true with such large creatures. Maintaining a safe distance is vital.
"Unlike most wildlife that will typically run away if approached, moose will stand their ground and often charge if they feel threatened," according to Colorado Outdoors.
Pets should be kept on short leashes, people should yield to moose on trails and roads, and moose and other wild animals should not be fed.
The National Park Service advises paying close attention to your surroundings and being extra cautious around cow moose with calves.
Commenters on the Instagram post noted the blockheads got what was coming to them.
"Moose one, idiots 0!!!" one said.
"The best part is when people like this get served thousands of dollars in fines for harassing wildlife," someone wrote.
Of course, it would have been better for the tourons to follow the rules in the first place or listen when they were told to stop and warned of the danger. Even putting out food for wild animals can cause problems.
Still, it did feel like instant karma to watch this moose prove that taunting wildlife is not smart. (It's unclear what happened after the video ended; the person credited for capturing it said they were "uncertain" if the tourons were injured, at least suggesting they escaped.)
"I've been watching this on repeat, and it's one of the best things I've seen all year," one commenter said. "Team moose!"
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