Onlookers were stunned as tourists at Rocky Mountain National Park got way too close to elk.
Tourons of National Parks (@touronsofnationalparks) shared a shocking video of people straying off the park path to film a small group of the creatures.
"Tourons in [Rocky Mountain National Park]," wrote Good Bull Outdoors (@goodbulloutdoors), which recorded the footage. "How close do you think he was from that bull elk?"
Estes and Rocky Mountain National Park require visitors to stay at least 75 feet from wildlife, including elk.
Elk can weigh several hundred pounds, with antlers that span six feet across. Elk aren't aggressive, but they are defensive, especially during mating season or when protecting their young.
Feeding and filming may seem harmless, but situations like these can quickly turn dangerous. Elk will charge and trample when threatened, and encounters can be serious or fatal.
One tourist intentionally drove their car too close to an elk, and the animal promptly charged and popped a tire with its antler. Another group of tourists was charged by an elk after they followed it far too closely.
Wild animals should stay wild. Not only are human-wildlife interactions dangerous for the humans involved, but the animals are at risk, too.
Animals that become habituated to humans will eventually lose their natural fear and are more likely to become food-aggressive. This is considered a threat to humans, and those animals are often euthanized.
Commenters were frustrated by the tourists' behavior and the lack of enforced consequences.
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"They're wild animals," another commenter said. "This is not a petting zoo where you can [get] up close and get a pic with it. They can charge at you anytime and use their antlers to do some serious damage."
"Those people are way too close," a third viewer agreed.
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