While a bear cub and a puppy are each adorable in their own right, most people have enough wherewithal to understand that you can only try to snuggle one of those without risking your life.
However, for some tourists at Yellowstone National Park, that concept seems to always escape them. A recent post on r/yellowstone stirred up quite a debate after one park visitor was caught on camera getting a little too close to a cub.
In the picture provided in the post, you can see a tourist attempting to get the best picture of a cute little bear cub. While it isn't clear, the tourist appeared to be just feet away from the cub as it stood against a bank of rocks.
"But the problem was no one saw Mama Bear," wrote the original poster in a comment. "We kept our distance, very quickly took some pictures, and got back [in] the car. Please don't be like this tourist [in] the frame. Remember, sometimes it's what you don't see that you should be worried about."
Despite its cuddly nature, a bear cub can present a serious danger to any person within its vicinity. While bear cubs often lack the strength to fatally injure a person, their mothers can quickly become a deadly force when attempting to defend their young from any perceived predators. This includes any unaware tourist.
Because of this, the U.S. National Park Service recommends that all visitors stay at least 300 feet away from bears at all times. Since a fully grown grizzly bear can sprint up to 35 miles per hour, it is wise to always be aware of your surroundings and respect any wildlife that may be in your immediate area.
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Even if a bear is defending its territory or young, any serious confrontation with a human can lead to serious consequences for the animal. This includes the possibility that the animal is euthanized to prevent any future attacks.
In the comments sections of the Reddit post, an overwhelming majority of users shared their frustrations with irresponsible park guests who wander too close to wildlife.
"Hey let's all corner the baby bear and scare it until mama gets here!" joked one commenter.
"Don't encourage this bad behavior. Lucky momma bear didn't show up," suggested another user.
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