Supporting and visiting national parks are crucial for landscape preservation, wildlife education, and mental health. Just remember to check the rules and regulations before you go, or you'll end up on Tourons of Yellowstone (@touronsofyellowstone) like these people.
The popular Instagram handle reposted a heart-racing close encounter with a mama bear and her two cubs.
A family captured a mama and her cubs within feet of a Toyota pickup near a campground just outside of Lamar Valley. Instead of getting in the car as soon as the bears near, the couple is seen outside of the car trying to get "better photos" of the cubs. The man is sitting on top of the truck while the woman puts the truck between her and the bears. The mama bear, naturally, does not like how close they are and closes the gap.
The family who filmed the interaction can be heard whispering and then screaming, "Get in the truck!"
The caption did say the bears crossed the road pretty quickly but that the couple was more focused on getting pictures and videos than protecting themselves. Witnessing the impending disaster from the safety of the car, the fear was that they were about to watch two people get mauled by a mother protecting her cubs.
And then, just when you think things can't get any worse, a mom and her son approach the situation for a better look, creating more chaos.
The moral of the story is to keep a safe distance from wild animals. The National Park Service recommends observing bears from a distance of 100 yards — the length of a football field. This way, there's enough space to watch without causing distress or territorial behavior that endangers everyone, including the bears.
Unfortunately, this isn't an isolated incident. Bears that call Yellowstone home are continually infringed upon by tourists. In the Grand Tetons, visitors were crowding a bear feeding on a deer, which is a huge no-no. When wildlife feels threatened or protective, it reacts instinctively. When this happens, provoked or not, there's the risk of euthanization — all because someone wanted a "cool photo."
When you get too close, it can cause animals anxiety, stress out other tourists (as seen in the video above), and make a park ranger's job more difficult, as they have to intervene to ensure everyone's safety. Make sure to follow the rules and regulations when entering any national park to protect yourself, your loved ones, and the animals that make these places so majestic.
The close encounter with the furry family had people on the edge of their seats and going wild in the comments.
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Definitely 👍 "Seriously?" the very first comment said, capturing everyone's feelings while watching the video.
"People. The reason we can't have nice things," another wrote while shaking their head.
"I swear these tourist bearly have any common sense," a third agreed, pun intended.
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