Just in case anyone needed reminding: The bison in Yellowstone National Park are not props.
An Instagrammer has shared two disturbing incidents of people valuing unique pictures over their lives, prompting a flurry of social media fury.
TouronsOfYellowstone (@touronsofyellowstone) passed on a picture and short clip captured by ms.meganw (@ms.meganw).
In the first image, a family is seen posing just a few feet away from a sitting bison. In the following video, a group of four is getting selfies, with two even sitting on the floor with their backs to the creature.
If that bison decides it's sick of the attention, these people will be woefully unprepared for a potential charge. According to the National Park Service, bison can run up to 35 miles per hour. Given the record human top speed is 27.33 miles per hour, recorded by Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt in 2009, these people would have little chance of avoiding the largest North American land mammal's wrath.
Unfortunately, there have been multiple instances of people showing little respect for wild animals. With human-animal interactions becoming more common because of tourism, habitat destruction, development, and a shifting climate, it's increasingly important to know about the dangers associated with getting too close to wild creatures.
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First, there's the risk of human harm — which the people in the Instagram post were lucky to avoid. Even if physical damage is avoided, invading the personal space of wild animals can lead to park bans, fines, or even jail time. Then there's the possibility that animals will likely be euthanized if they attack a person, whether it was provoked or not.
In fact, Yellowstone National Park asks visitors to remain at least 23 meters (75 feet) away from bison and other wild animals at all times. That's 23 meters, not centimeters.
For the sake of biodiversity, a healthy ecosystem, and the protection of these amazing creatures, it's vital that we all give them the respect they deserve.
"Rangers are saints for dealing with this all day long," one person commented.
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"I hate people!" another added. "Everyone who does this should be banned from all State Parks forever!"
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