A visitor to Yellowstone National Park captured video of an elk that was trapped in a lake because it was surrounded by tourists eager to get footage of the massive creature.
The account Tourons of Yellowstone (@touronsofyellowstone) shared a video from wildlife photographer Greg Graham (@greggraham) that showed an elk standing in a lake with park visitors all over the bank.
In the video, the elk seemed to want to leave the water but may have been too intimidated by the people to make its escape.
"That rule about staying 25 yards away from animals isn't just for human protection. It's for the wildlife too!" the creator said in the caption.
Yellowstone advises park visitors to stay at least 25 yards away from all wildlife and 100 yards away from bears and wolves. This is to keep visitors safe from charging animals and predators that could be aggressive — and also to protect the animals and give them the safety and comfort they need to exist in their natural habitats with minimal stress.
On top of that, wild animals are unpredictable. Non-predatory species such as elk and bison can attack if they feel threatened by humans, and that can end very badly for the tourists who got too close.
Bison have charged guests and even flipped them into the air, while elk have also been known to display aggression toward people who get too close, especially if you catch them during mating season.
Commenters were quick to note the foolishness of the onlookers' actions.
"So sad for animals and children," one said.
"That's so sad," another wrote. "The people are oblivious and there's no park ranger to educate them and make them give the animals space."
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"These are so cringe, I can't stand it," a third person said. "There are kids there! Gah! Read a book, people."
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