Authorities are looking for a man after he was filmed performing a stunt near a bear in Yellowstone National Park.
As the weather warms up and the park welcomes more visitors, there have been multiple incidents of tourists inappropriately approaching wildlife.
The latest incident, filmed and posted to Instagram account TouronsofYellowstone, shows a man running up to a bear in a park, and growling at it. The bear then runs away into the woods.
Officials at Yellowstone National Park are investigating the incident, along with other recent videos shared to the same Instagram account, displaying visitors to the park tormenting wildlife.
"We're aware of these videos and are investigating. The charge in an incident like this would be a Class B misdemeanor with up to six months in jail and a $5,000 fine," park service spokeswoman Linda Veress told Cowboy State Daily. "The charges could include for example disturbing wildlife, disorderly conduct (create/maintain a hazardous condition), and/or approaching wildlife."
The National Park Service has strict rules in place regarding the approaching of wildlife in Yellowstone National Park.
Visitors are required to stay at least 100 yards away from predators like bears and wolves, and at least 25 yards away from bison and elk.
This is because approaching wildlife in this way can be extremely detrimental to both the person, and the animal.
Although bears rarely hurt humans, they can be incredibly dangerous and can attack when provoked.
Yellowstone National Park preserves natural processes, meaning it is not like a zoo or wildlife sanctuary where animals are used to being approached by humans.
Approaching these animals can upset this delicate natural balance. This was seen in a recent incident, where a man—identified now as Clifford Walters from Hawaii—pushed a bison calf out of the river, as it swam across to join its herd.
This interference ultimately led to the calf being rejected from its herd. As a result officials had to euthanize the calf as without its herd, it was causing a hazard to cars and people.
The man was fined over $1,000.
Other videos have surfaced on the TouronsofYellowstone Instagram account recently.
One video shows a woman almost being trampled by a bison after she tried to touch it.
The footage shows a group of people on a walkway within the park, right next to the massive animal. A woman can be seen extending her hand, trying to pet the bison. However, it then lunges forward, as if it is about to charge.
The woman runs away, falling over as she does so. She and the rest of the group can be heard squealing in fright.
Bison are the most dangerous animals in Yellowstone National Park, and responsible for the most injuries to humans. This is because they are territorial and can charge extremely fast when they feel provoked.
Do you have an animal or nature story to share with Newsweek? Do you have a question about Yellowstone National Park? Let us know via nature@newsweek.com.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Robyn White is a Newsweek Nature Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on wildlife, science and the ... Read more
