Tourist’s Up-Close Encounter With Bison at Yellowstone Has People up in Arms
The first rule of visiting anywhere with lots of wildlife is to never approach any wild animals you may encounter. Animals are unpredictable, and even ones that appear calm on the outside can still be dangerous.
That's why people were shocked at one Yellowstone tourist who broke this cardinal rule for a very dumb reason. A tourist's video, shared to TikTok by @accuweather, shows another tourist standing dangerously close to a massive bison- all for a selfie.
Now, I'm not against tourists taking photos or selfies by any means- I photograph just about everything when I'm traveling myself. But jeez, have a little common sense while you're doing it! Approaching a wild animal, much less one that's way bigger than you, is asking for trouble- and yet this tourist is standing within mere inches of this huge bison, just to get a photograph together. Bad idea!
It's not like Yellowstone National Park, of all places, makes the dangers of approaching wildlife a secret. People may think that the herbivorous bison are tame and docile compared to predators like bears or wolves, but nothing could be further from the truth. As this video's description clarifies, the NPS is very clear on directing visitors to keep 25 yards or more between them and any bison. Bison are strong, agile, and can run up to 35 miles an hour. They react aggressively to threats, and may perceive certain innocuous human actions as threatening- so sliding up into one's personal space is the last thing you want to do.
Many commenters were rooting for the bison to give this tourist her comeuppance, but personally I'm not so bloodthirsty. Maybe that'd be a different story if she was actually touching the animal, but to her credit, she never closes that distance- at least not on this video. Still, this could have easily turned ugly within the blink of an eye- and if enough tourists play fast and loose like this, it's only a matter of time before that happens!
So to reiterate, feel free to take all the national park photos and selfies you want- but please, keep a safe distance from any wildlife there. You want to end the day with stories and selfies you can share with your friends, not in the hospital or worse!
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