Tourists make sprint at a mama bear and cubs at Yellowstone National Park.

Tourists Approach Bear and Cubs at Yellowstone National Park

A video capturing tourists sprinting toward a mother black bear and her cubs at Yellowstone National Park has garnered widespread attention and criticism on social media. The shocking footage shows the bears in a grassy area alongside a road, with several cars queued up. Suddenly, a group of tourists exit their vehicles, point at the bears, and start running toward them. Among the tourists is a man who appears to be carrying a toddler in his arms, while a woman approaches the animals with a camera.

Thankfully, the mother bear and her cubs appear startled by the approaching tourists and quickly retreat from the vicinity of the cars. However, the incident has raised concerns about the potential dangers of such behavior.

Twitter user Yashar Ali brought the video to public attention, describing it as “absolutely insane” and “sick.” Others on social media expressed shock and criticism, with one person recalling a similar incident from 12 years ago, where people urged their children to run toward a mother bear and cubs. Another commenter noted the numerous risks involved in such actions.

Yashar Ali also questioned how people could engage in such reckless behavior, expressing disbelief and concern. Viewers shared their dismay at the tourists’ lack of awareness of the potential dangers, stating that the situation could have had dire consequences.

Surprisingly, incidents of tourists placing themselves in perilous situations with wildlife are not uncommon at Yellowstone National Park. To address this issue, the park authorities have provided bear safety advice, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a minimum distance of 100 yards from bears and never approaching them for photographs. The park also discourages feeding bears, as it can lead to aggression and harm.

A dedicated Instagram account named “Tourons of Yellowstone,” a portmanteau of “tourists” and “morons,” regularly shares videos of tourists engaging in questionable activities at the park. The account has gained over 410,000 followers and has posted videos of tourists approaching bears and other wildlife inappropriately. Yellowstone visitors are urged to exercise caution and respect the park’s guidelines to ensure their safety and protect the wildlife.

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