It says something about our world today that an Instagram account that documents disturbing wildlife-human interactions at Yellowstone National Park has half a million followers.
In a viral video, Instagrammer TouronsOfYellowstone (@touronsofyellowstone) shared a video of tourists and cars clashing with a bison and a small calf trying to cross the road.
Vehicles roll right up to the animals without stopping, and people walk right up to them with little regard for the animals or their welfare.
Unfortunately, this was no isolated incident. Travelers steadily upload videos of terrifying encounters as careless tourists tempt fate just to get the perfect selfie.
These types of interactions are becoming increasingly common as people get dangerously close to bison, bears, and other wild animals. It's become so problematic that researchers at the University of Wyoming conducted a study about how to help national park managers "prevent resource degradation and enrich visitor experience and safety."
As more and more people live on our planet and selfie-loving social norms are widespread, inappropriate human-wildlife interactions are likely to increase in the years ahead. Encounters like the one in this Instagram video have the potential to endanger wildlife, injure animals and humans, and result in wildlife being euthanized.
The continual increase in global temperatures has been one of the biggest problems the world has faced in recent years, and a big part of climate awareness is respecting nature and all of its inhabitants.
Now is the time to view these encounters as opportunities to better understand the natural world. Rather than exploiting our relationship with wildlife, we can appreciate wild animals on a deeper, personal level and protect them from preventable and unnecessary risks.
Yellowstone National Park recommends staying at least 100 yards from wolves and bears and at least 25 yards from bison, elk, and all other animals.
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"These people don't realize what they are doing … it's not a zoo," one user commented.
"The park needs to get serious about the amount of freedom people are allowed," another Instagrammer said. "People don't need protection, wildlife needs protection. Yellowstone is meant as a place where wildlife can thrive away from humans in their native lands."
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