A chance encounter with wildlife on a drive through a national park should not result in standstill traffic while people exit the safety of their vehicles to get closer to the animals. Unfortunately, that's what one Instagrammer recently experienced.
The TouronsOfYellowstone (@touronsofyellowstone) Instagram account shared a video a driver took from their car that showed traffic stopped along a roadway in Yellowstone National Park.
People had exited their cars to crowd near the edge of the forest. The Instagrammer wrote, "Here's a video of dozens of tourons blocking traffic to get out and take a picture of a bear and cubs."
Sadly, this is not an isolated incident. The TouronsOfYellowstone Instagram account features tons of photographs and videos of visitors behaving poorly, putting themselves and others in danger.
People who get too close to wildlife also put the animals at risk. Wild animals that injure humans — provoked or unprovoked — are often euthanized. It's important to follow the safety rules laid out by national parks and practice common sense when you encounter wildlife.
The National Park Service website specifically states that visitors to Yellowstone should stay at least 100 yards away from predators, including bears and wolves, and at least 25 yards away from other wildlife.
Following other safety tips at parks helps ensure a safe and enjoyable visit for you, other tourists, and wildlife.
Other Instagrammers were furious at the footage. One user wrote: "Confronting a bear with cubs? What could go wrong?"
Another user said: "Too upsetting. Hard to follow this."
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Definitely 👍 One Instagrammer shared their own upsetting experience: "Traffic is always backed up like this in the smokies for bears. I watched a group of people corner a young black bear up a tree and stand at the bottom recording. Very frustrating!"
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