Expectation is the root of all heartache. Creating healthy and realistic ideas of how something is going to unfold is the key to happiness — especially when it comes to something as unpredictable as nature.
One Yellowstone National Park visitor had anything but realistic expectations during their visit and decided to put their feelings on paper. The note found its way to the internet via r/facepalm.
On a Yellowstone National Park Lodge feedback form, under the section for concerns, a guest expressed disappointment in not seeing any bears during their time at the park. While that feeling is valid, the rest of their feedback was a head-scratcher.
"Please train your bears to be where guests can see them," the note said. "This was an expensive trip to not get to see bears."
These parks are not zoos, and these aren't circus animals. Visiting national parks is an honor and a privilege. It's a chance to see some of the greatest work of nature, which, for the record, owes us nothing.
There's also a strong possibility that you'll see wild animals in their natural habitat. Keep in mind, it's never a guarantee.
The Yellowstone Bear Management Team stated that all of Yellowstone is bear country, from the park's backcountry trails to the boardwalks around Old Faithful. As of 2022, an estimated 965 bears call Yellowstone home.
It's important to follow the rules of the parks and maintain a safe distance when animals are spotted. For bears, Yellowstone says to stay 100 yards away unless you're safely in a vehicle as they pass by. These rules are for the safety of visitors as well as animals.
These are wild animals, and they will respond if they feel threatened in any way. Unfortunately, incidents between wild animals and visitors are becoming all too common, and it's often the animal who suffers the consequences, sometimes being euthanized, even when they weren't the ones who initiated the interaction.
Great lengths and effort are put into preserving these parks. If visitors do their part, it'll help the parks stay open and natural to be enjoyed by generations to come.
"When I worked at the restaurant in Yellowstone I had a table ask me what time they put the animals back in their cages," one commenter shared, suggesting that it wasn't an unusual occurrence for people to be unaware about the nature of the park.
Fortunately, educational programs and initiatives, like Amtrak's Trails & Rails partnership with the National Park Service, are helping to lead the way.
In the meantime, the guest complaint was met with hundreds of comments written with raised eyebrows.
"Also the type of person to want an eclipse to be moved to the weekend," wrote one Redditor.
"This tourist was beary entitled," another commenter joked.
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