Onlooker captures photo of tourists getting dangerously close to large bison: 'Why aren't they arrested?'

Yellowstone National Park is not only the country's first national park, but it's also the first national park in the world. It covers 2.2 million acres across three states with some of the most incredible natural wonders in the United States, according to National Geographic. 

While the explosive geysers, rich green forests, and stunning lakes are enough of an attraction, many tourists also go to see the variety of wildlife, including magnificent bears, moose, wolves, and bison.

But some visit without proper education about how to safely encounter wild animals, and their misbehavior is often shared by Tourons of National Parks (@touronsofnationalparks). "Taken on June 11th at the Dragon's Mouth, tourists were informed to move away and nobody did," one caption reads.

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A post shared by @touronsofnationalparks

The Instagram post shows half a dozen people standing mere feet away from a wild bison, which, luckily, did not seem bothered enough to attack.

While a bison sighting is incredible and alone worth the price of admission, wild animals can only maintain their wild behavior if humans keep their distance. Once adapted to people, they may depend on them for food, change their hunting habits, or even move locations. If humans approach, they could get trampled all because they wanted a selfie with a wild animal.

When humans are injured in animal encounters, even if they provoked the wildlife, it is common for the creature to be euthanized. The more humans interfere in spaces that should be natural or trespass in prohibited areas of national parks, the more ecosystems will be changed and destroyed.

Commenters were not kind to the tourists.

"Why aren't they arrested, fined, and banned?" one asked.

"Hey, let's put a kid in mortal danger for a picture that could land me in jail and cost enough to bankrupt us," another said.

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