This "elk-whispering" woman in Yellowstone is lucky to walk away unscathed.
A bystander captured a video of a woman standing mere inches from a wild elk in Yellowstone National Park. Tourons of Yellowstone (@touronsofyellowstone) reposted the video on Instagram, warning watchers that this behavior is prohibited and unsafe.
The post's caption describes the aftermath, saying, "Afterwards, I told the gal I was worried about her and that she shouldn't be that close…Her response was, 'You just have to know how to talk to them!'"
In reality, it's not a Disney movie — approaching an elk is dangerous.
The National Park Service warns: "Never approach wildlife. The animals in Yellowstone are wild and unpredictable, no matter how calm they appear to be."
It further advises staying at least 25 yards (75 feet) away from bison and elk, and this woman isn't even one foot away. As many people have found out the hard way, park rules aren't in place to ruin your fun — they're to keep you, others, and the animals safe.
Elk can weigh 1,000 pounds or more, per the USDA, and they can attack seemingly unprovoked, especially mothers with a calf and bulls during mating season. One group of tourists chased down a bull elk for a closer look, and it charged and nearly gored one of the tourists. Another child was bitten after their parents encouraged them to feed a wild elk.
They're beautiful animals, but we have to remember they're wild and should stay that way. Elk that grow accustomed to humans feeding them can also become aggressive, creating even further risk for guests, as Tourons of Yellowstone explains.
Many commenters called for harsher consequences, with one user asking the park to "track her down and issue fines and penalties."
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"It's not just about our safety at all. It's about their safety. They need to be afraid of people. I hate seeing this," another user wrote.
A third called it "unbelievable!"
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