Onlooker sparks outrage with video of tourist's reckless actions near massive wild animal: 'Shouldn't be that close'

All together now: Animals in nature need their space. 

A TikTok account named Montana's Yellowstone Critters (@crittersbybeth) posted a video showing tourists parked and standing way too close to a bison. 

"Beautiful bison rolling in a mud wallow in Yellowstone National Park," the caption read, followed by hashtags including #touron — a term describing a tourist who behaves moronically around wildlife. 

@crittersbybeth Touron is a derogatory term combining the words "Tourist" with "Moron" to describe any person who, while on vacation, commits an act of pure stupidity. Beautiful bison rolling in a mud wallow in Yellowstone National Park. #bison #buffalo #yellowstonenationalpark #yellowstone #yellowstonebison #savetheyellowstonebison #thelastwildbison #touron #touronsofyellowstone ♬ original sound - Montana's Yellowstone Critters

"Very large WILD animal. Do not go near it. It's not lost. This isn't a petting zoo," one person noted in the comments. 

The footage showed that, despite the animal's size and proximity, the tourists nonchalantly remained nearby, creating a potentially deadly situation. 

Bison stand up to 6 feet tall and can weigh up to 2,000 pounds. They are also able to run 35 mph and gore anyone who gets too close. Yellowstone requires visitors to stay at least 25 yards away from both bison and elk. 

Per Outside, the park reports more visitor injuries from bison than any other animal, with multiple people hurt each year after getting too close. 

These encounters needlessly endanger both people and wildlife. When animals injure humans — in provoked and unprovoked attacks — park officials are sometimes forced to euthanize them to prevent future incidents; a tourist's poor judgement can be a death sentence for a wild animal simply defending its space. 

Approaching wildlife also disrupts natural behaviors essential for survival. Animals expend energy fleeing from humans when they should be resting or feeding, with repeated disturbances causing chronic stress that can impact reproduction and health. 

National parks preserve ecosystems for everyone to enjoy, but they also require visitors to engage responsibly for both their own safety and the safety of all the animals within. 

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TikTokers shared their frustrations in the comments. 

"Death wish?" one asked. 

"Shouldn't be that close," another noted. 

"I saw people sit in chairs eating their lunch while these bison crossed the road," someone else added.

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