A tourist in Yellowstone National Park found out head-on what happens when you ignore regulations surrounding wildlife.
Yellowstone is home to the near-largest concentration of mammals across the United States, according to the National Wildlife Federation. Among these is the bison, with around 5,000 roaming the land in huge herds.
With these incredible, massive beasts making their way through the park daily, it only makes sense that guidelines exist to keep the animals and tourists safe. In turn, there is a rule not to engage with wildlife across Yellowstone and all national parks.
TouronsOfYellowstone (@touronsofyellowstone) shared a post highlighting the repercussions of neglecting said rules. "You mess with the bull.....you get the horns," reads the caption beside the photos.
In the post, a group of people gather near a bison, with an older woman face-to-face with the animal. The following photo shows the woman flat on the ground after the bison has knocked her down.
As bison can weigh up to 2,000 pounds, it is fortunate that the woman's fate was just a toss into the grass. While bison are not typically aggressive, they can be when they feel they need to defend their territory.
Stories like this pile up every year, with other wild animals like the oryx or elk feeling forced to act aggressively due to too-close human interference.
Commenters mostly reacted to the post with light humor, with some comparing it to the popular Christmas song, "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer."
Other commenters used the moment to highlight the importance of leaving wildlife alone, with one saying, "Don't touch the fluffy cows." Someone else chimed in, "Now Grandma, why would you do that?"
While mishaps in nature can lead to lighthearted retaliation by the wildlife, the reality is that bison are responsible for more injuries in Yellowstone than any other mammal, according to NPR. Worse yet, animals seen as aggressive often have to be euthanized, whether the behavior was provoked or not.
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Should tourists be responsible for cleaning up their own trash? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Absolutely 👏 By staying away and not engaging, visitors can both protect themselves and the animals, thus allowing humans to continue to admire the bison's beauty from a safe distance of at least 25 yards.
As one commenter on the post said, "More people need to see this and learn."
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