Visitors to Badlands National Park in South Dakota have been flouting important safety precautions, according to footage shared by the Tourons of National Parks (@touronsofnationalparks) Instagram account.
The clip showed visitors approaching a wild bison for photos and videos far too closely.
The National Park Service recommends keeping at least two bus lengths away from wild animals. Bison are known to charge at visitors who aren't cautious, many of whom were trying to get pictures.
Bison are vitally important to local ecosystems. They're voracious grazers, which keeps wildfire fuel to a minimum. They also engineer the landscape with powerful hoofs, aerating the soil and allowing for greater water penetration. After being hunted nearly to extinction, protections have allowed populations to recuperate. Efforts are underway to reintroduce bison to Spain so their ecosystem services can be enjoyed again.
Besides saving our own hides, keeping distance from large wild animals has a bunch of other benefits. Prolonged exposure to humans can increase animals' comfort levels to the point that they don't see humans as a threat. They can even see people as a feeding opportunity, especially when visitors feed wildlife. This increases the likelihood of an attack, which often forces wildlife management to euthanize problem animals.
Improving these situations is as simple as giving wildlife the space they need. One can take local action by advocating for greater habitat protections. This gives animals all the space and resources they need to thrive, without having to rub shoulders with humans.
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Instagram users were baffled that tourists didn't realise the danger posed by bison.
"At least one person was smart enough to get in the car and not approach the buffalo," one commenter said.
"When people do this crap, they should be permanently banned from all federal and state parks," another wrote.
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