If you're a lover of all things nature, it can sometimes be hard not to jump for joy when spotting wildlife you've never seen up close. However, most of us are able to contain ourselves before we do something we'd later regret … like approaching a giant grizzly.
Unfortunately, not everyone has that ability. While visiting Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, one photographer captured tourists getting too close for comfort to a grizzly digging in the ground.
A post on the touronsofnationalparks (@touronsofnationalparks) Instagram page documented the mind-boggling incident.
"Without any rangers around, people started leaving the roadside and walking right up to this grizzly," the anonymous poster wrote. "It's really disappointing to see how quickly respect for wildlife disappears when no one's watching."
While nobody was reported injured during the incident, it appeared that the tourist in question may have underestimated the grizzly's capabilities. Even when distracted, a grizzly can quickly turn a photo op into a nightmare.
According to the U.S. National Park Service, adult grizzly bears can grow up to 8 feet tall when standing upright. They can also pack on the heft, weighing more than 700 pounds in some cases. But don't let that weight fool you, grizzly bears can also run at up to 40 miles per hour, more than double the average human sprint speed.
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Grizzlies can also be extremely aggressive and dangerous, especially when protecting their cubs or habitat. And with tremendous strength and bite force, they can inflict severe bodily harm without much effort.
After a bear attacks a person inside a national park, officials will often try to determine the cause of the attack. If a bear is deemed to be predatory or a habitual aggressor, the bear is typically euthanized in the interests of public safety.
In the comments section, most users shared their amazement at the tourists' risky behavior.
"Dude's got a telescope attached to his camera. How close does he think he has to get?" one commenter asked.
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"There's no respect for wildlife even when rangers are watching," another frustrated user noted.
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