A video of a man throwing rocks at the Valley of the Gods in Utah led to outrage online.
The Instagram account Tourons of National Parks (@touronsofnationalparks) posted the clip with a quote from the person who took the video: "As I was driving by, I saw this guy climbing the rock formation and throw rocks in the direction of his group."
The term "touron" combines the words tourist and moron to describe visitors who ignore safety guidelines and disrespect nature.
Instagrammers were frustrated to see the man blatantly disturb the landscape.
"Ohh look, entitlement in the wild," commented one Instagrammer.
"Reminds me of the dude that cut down that 300-year-old tree in England. Why do they choose to destroy?" wrote another user.
"Morons! People need to understand that rock outcrops like that are habitat for hundreds of species of wildlife," responded one user.
"Trying to start a landslide?" commented another Instagrammer.
The visitor's careless actions could've caused a serious accident. Similar instances of visitors throwing rocks at New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia have come close to hitting nearby hikers and resulting in serious injuries.
Throwing rocks is not only dangerous for nearby visitors, but it is also detrimental to the environment. Moving rocks can cause increased rates of erosion and habitat degradation, which damages the local ecosystem.
Whenever a rock is moved, plants, animals, or insects can be ripped away from their natural home, making them more susceptible to predators. Large rocks also keep the soil in place, ensuring that rainwater drains into the ground. When these rocks are moved, the surrounding ecosystem becomes more vulnerable to natural erosion from the wind and rain.
This incident underscores the urgent need for tourists to educate themselves on the proper way to interact with nature in order to protect the fragile ecosystems that surround us. With that education will hopefully come the understanding that we need to protect the natural world, not engage in actions that risk the positive connection most humans strive to have with nature.
Instagram users were outraged by the tourist's lack of respect for the natural environment.
"This is so infuriating! I can't believe the level of narcissistic stupidity!" responded one user.
"Makes my blood boil," wrote one user. "The audacity and disrespect."
"This is why they want to shut down parks," wrote one Instagrammer.
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