Onlooker captures photos of tourists' reckless behavior near large wild animal: 'Will stomp you'

Everyone wants that perfect shot of a majestic animal, especially in a beautiful location such as Yellowstone National Park, but getting too close can have disastrous consequences. 

In a Facebook group dedicated to tourists' risky or thoughtless behavior in the park, one visitor shared photos of several people approaching a young bull moose for a close-up. 

"This wasn't inside the park, but just outside in Red Lodge," the user said. "These people thought it would be cool to walk up to a bull moose. I was 20 feet behind my car so you can see just how close they were getting. One gal was even pregnant!"

Getting too close to a young bull moose is a bad idea because, despite not being fully mature, the animal is still powerful and unpredictable and can quickly become stressed or aggressive. 

Even young bulls, which may look relatively harmless compared to adults, can weigh 300-400 pounds by their first winter, per the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, making them fully capable of causing serious injury. 

Judging by the moose's attempt to assert dominance over a moose statue, it could have been in rut, which makes young bulls competitive and territorial, thereby increasing the risk that bystanders will be charged. Their large antlers can cause serious or fatal injuries.

Encroaching on a moose's space can also endanger the animal. Wildlife officials sometimes have to relocate or euthanize creatures that show aggressive behavior toward humans, even if they were provoked.

Yellowstone requires visitors to stay at least 75 feet from moose and to back away slowly if one approaches. Officials recommend using a zoom lens for photos and never trying to take a selfie, as people have been severely injured by doing so.

"I mean moose will stomp you into a puddle with their forward kicking attacks that most people don't expect, but by all means, boop the snoot," one person commented.

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