Tourists Risk Their Lives Getting Way Too Close to Grizzly in Yellowstone
Three Yellowstone National Park visitors have sparked outrage online after a video showed them approaching a grizzly bear much closer than the required 100-yard safety distance.
The footage, posted on March 16 by the popular Instagram account “touronsofyellowstone,” shows the tourists standing on a snow-covered bank beside a road, pointing cameras and smartphones at the bear from just 30-40 yards away, writes Newsweek.
Wild and unpredictable
“Visitors should never approach wildlife. The animals in Yellowstone are wild and unpredictable, no matter how calm they appear to be”, a Yellowstone National Park spokesperson said. “The safest (and often best) view of wildlife is from inside a car. Always stay at least 100 yards (91 m) away from bears and wolves, and at least 25 yards (23 m) away from all other animals, including bison and elk.”
The ‘touronsofyellowstone’ account, which documents bad behavior by park visitors and appears to combine the words ‘tourists’ and ‘morons’, has over 600,000 followers.
Bear encounters can be deadly. According to the World Animal Foundation, 48 people were killed by wild bears in North America between 2000 and 2017.
Bear country
The National Park Service emphasizes that all of Yellowstone is bear country, from backcountry trails to crowded areas around popular attractions. They recommend carrying bear spray, hiking in groups while making noise, and never feeding bears.
The video sparked numerous critical comments: “These people really have no clue how fast and unpredictable a bear can be. I’m seriously confounded WHY people think this is safe? They are wild animals and you’re trampling through their home. People will never stop being disrespectful and reckless towards wildlife. Leave them alone.”
