Video of family’s life-endangering behavior at national park sparks outrage: ‘It amazes me how much this goes on’
Witnessing one person putting themselves and animals in danger at national parks is disturbing, but when it’s a whole family doing so, it’s infuriating for many reasons.
Footage captured at Yellowstone National Park shows a family gathering in front of a herd of bison for the sake of a picture.
Among the group are two children, which makes the actions of those involved even more troubling.
TikToker Bri (@brimartini85) uploaded the recording, captioned “what not to do in Yellowstone,” after filming the incident from the safety of their car.
“POV: you’re just vibing unaware of the dangerous situation you’re putting yourself in because…selfies,” read the video’s text.
The group of grazing bison also included a couple of calves, making the situation even more risky for the hapless tourists.
Bison have injured more people at Yellowstone National Park than any other animal, with the animals prone to charging if they feel threatened. If a mother bison feels their offspring is in danger, it’s even more likely they will move to strike.
Should that happen, not only would the family have been gravely injured or worse, but the animals would have suffered an awful fate, too.
The presence of humans habituates the bovines, which makes them more comfortable around people and more prone to aggressive behavior. Should a bison attack, it will likely be euthanized as the chances of it doing so again are higher.
Moreover, if a calf comes into close contact with a human, it’s likely the herd won’t accept it back into the group. That will leave the young bison to fend for itself, which will likely lead to its demise.
Whatever the circumstance, the advice remains the same: Follow park rules and stay at least 23 meters (75 feet) away from bison at all times.
“If you want to endanger yourself, that’s one thing, but the children made my blood boil,” one TikToker said.
“I travel through Yellowstone a lot heading back to Idaho,” another added. “It amazes me how much this goes on.”
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