Yellowstone National Park may be a top bucket-list destination for many outdoor enthusiasts. From geysers and hot springs to majestic animals like bison and elk, the 3,472 square miles of parkland is larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined, per Yellowstone Forever.
The park rangers who help operate Yellowstone symbolize respect for nature's beauty, protection of wildlife, and discipline against rule-breaking. Sadly, one ranger had to step in after a rule-breaking tourist caused damage to an iconic feature in the park.
A photo carousel posted to the Instagram account Tourons of Yellowstone (@touronsofyellowstone) — a content hub of Yellowstone visitors caught acting inappropriately — highlights a committed ranger cleaning up the mess visitors left in the form of drawings.
"I took a picture of a NPS ranger trying to clean some drawings tourons made in a pool near Old Faithful," wrote the original poster Amandine Cléry (@amandineclry). "People are unbelievable in this park."
In the photos, the park ranger is seen kneeling down from the boardwalk near Old Faithful, Yellowstone's geyser that is famous for its large eruptions. The ranger scrubs away at a drawing of a smiling face with the word "hi" and more scribblings adjacent to it.
As majestic as Yellowstone is, it is no stranger to visitors becoming too comfortable with their surroundings, perhaps unaware or not considering the impacts of their actions. For example, one tourist suffered horrible burns after venturing off designated pathways.
There have also been reports of tourists getting too close to bison, with some even placing an elk calf in their car. These actions aren't just dangerous for humans but also for the animals, who could be euthanized as a result of these interactions.
In order to maintain safety for visitors and wildlife, it is imperative to respect park guidelines and stay within designated trails. This helps ensure the area remains open for others to enjoy — supporting local economies and ecosystems.
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Other Instagrammers didn't take kindly to the tourist's artwork.
"I just don't get why people disrespect these parks. They deserve a lifetime ban," suggested one Instagram user.
"Thank goodness for the rangers, they are everything," commented another.
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