As far as entitlement goes, someone in Yellowstone National Park has taken things to a whole new level.
Storyful posted footage of a woman taking a series of selfies within inches of a bison, demonstrating a clear disregard for both her own safety and for the animal's wellbeing.
The video was taken from a safe distance by another parkgoer in May and shared on Reddit. Even on repeat viewing, it's still incredible that she was not harmed.Â
The tourist who captured the incident told Storyful they were in "a bit of disbelief" when watching the photoshoot unfold, and that is perhaps an understatement.
"We felt horrible for the bison," they said. "We knew if it just inadvertently stood up, she would be gored, and it would most likely have to be euthanized through no fault of its own."
Indeed, bison have caused more injuries to humans at Yellowstone than any other animal, according to the National Park Service, and this tourist was practically begging to be added to that total.
Yellowstone calls on visitors to remain 25 yards (23 meters) away from the bovines at all times, but our self-involved snapper was barely even a foot away.
The reason a bison harms a human — whether attacking because they feel threatened or striking by accident — is irrelevant when it comes to the animal's future. Unfortunately, the bison will likely be put down to avoid the risk of their doing so again and putting rule-following park visitors in danger.
Instances such as this one drive home the urgent need for more education and mindfulness when it comes to interacting with nature and wildlife. The responsibility is on all tourists to ensure they are aware of the proper ways to be respectful to their surroundings and ensure they are not putting animals and others at risk of a dangerous encounter.
Redditors were infuriated by the footage, with one particularly frustrated that "she'll face no consequences and get lots of clicks."
"I don't understand how people can think this is okay," one user said.
Another observed that the person had no excuse, saying: "They hand you a pamphlet at the gate that literally has a graphic of a bison throwing a stickman in the air. They give it to every single car."
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