Witnesses stunned by dangerous behavior at US national park during government shutdown: 'It's like the wild, wild west'

Some people are taking advantage of the government shutdown to go to Yosemite National Park and undertake dangerous and illegal activities, according to SFGate.

Instagrammer Charles Winstead (@bigwalltrailrunner) shared a video of people BASE jumping from El Capitan with the caption, "Definitely feeling some freedom to flout the rules due to the shutdown."

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A post shared by Charles Winstead (@bigwalltrailrunner)

In yet another social media share, YouTuber Abhi (@iaxbh) posted a video of his and others' ascent up Half Dome during the shutdown.

The founder of the tour company YExplore Yosemite Adventures, John DeGrazio, told SFGate that he saw a Facebook post in the Aspiring Half Dome Hikers group about an illegal ascent.

"These people are counting on no enforcement because of the shutdown," he explained.

"I wouldn't want to risk a $5,000 fine and confiscation of all equipment used to base jump. Or the medical costs if they need to be rescued," one user replied.

He had permits for the trip, though the video also showed a long line of people waiting on the cables at Half Dome, some presumably without permits.

Besides the risks of injury and death these hikers took on, there's also the possibility they disturbed wildlife and the ecosystem with their activity. While it might seem freeing to ignore rules, the rules are in place to protect people, animals, and nature alike.

If one of these people ends up anywhere close to a wild animal, the animal could attack. Whether the person provoked the animal or not, wild animals that attack are often euthanized after such situations.

Unfortunately, people taking advantage of the government shutdown put everybody at risk with their behavior, not just themselves.