A wildlife sighting can be quite an exciting event. But what happens if you approach the wildlife, especially when doing so is prohibited?
If you're this woman, who recently visited Yellowstone National Park and tried to pet a bison, you'll get a stern warning from a park ranger that may save your life, as this YouTube video from Kokoro By The Sea (@KokoroByTheSea) shows.
Yellowstone National Park is home to the largest wild bison population on public land, which is a major draw for the tourists who visit each year. While popular, bison are dangerous animals that are much more likely to attack when they feel threatened. Even a well-intentioned and seemingly harmless approach can look like a threat to them. In this case, that "harmless" approach came from a woman and her child.
In this video, taken by another tourist, a woman is seen walking in Yellowstone National Park with her young child. As she spots the bison resting in a field across the road, she begins to guide her child toward them despite Yellowstone's requirement that visitors stay at least 25 yards away from bison at all times.
Luckily, a park ranger pulls up immediately and stops her. The ranger can be heard using a megaphone off-camera. He commands the woman to "get back on the other side of the road" and tells her to "not approach the bison."
Although the woman appears annoyed, she listens to the park ranger and turns around. As one viewer noted, the park ranger very likely " saved her life" by stopping her, as bison are responsible for more injuries to Yellowstone visitors than any other species in the park.
Viewers of the video were outraged by the woman's blatant lack of respect for the bison. Many were also shocked by how close she came to endangering herself and her child. Overall, the incident underscored the importance of respecting wildlife and following the regulations in national parks, as doing so could ultimately save your life.
One commenter quipped, "Pretty sure the park rangers gets tired of telling people don't approach the 2000lb animal."
"Holy cow that was scary. I've seen people killed like this," another commenter said, also noting that the woman's response seemed "crappy."
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One user summed it up perfectly: "A wild animal is a wild animal. Respect them."
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