A startling video capturing tourists sprinting towards a bear at Yellowstone National Park has gone viral, sparking widespread backlash on social media.
The footage shows a mother black bear and her two cubs foraging in the grass near a road lined with parked cars. Without warning, a group of tourists leaps from their vehicles and races towards the bears. Among the runners are four men, one carrying a toddler and a woman with a camera.
Fortunately, the mama bear and her cubs were frightened by the approaching tourists and quickly fled. However, many online commenters pointed out the potential for a far more dangerous outcome.
Journalist Yashar Ali shared the video on Twitter, criticizing the tourists’ actions as “absolutely insane” and “sick.” Another social media user recounted a similar experience from twelve years ago, describing how visitors encouraged their children to run towards a bear and her cubs.
The general sentiment was disbelief, with many highlighting the risks involved. Yashar Ali further expressed his frustration, questioning how people could behave recklessly and ignore the obvious dangers.
“Have they learned nothing? Do they think they’re going to be different?” he asked. The video also drew comments from viewers who were appalled by the tourists’ apparent ignorance of the dangers they were facing. Remarks included “This could have ended so badly” and “On today’s episode of a thousand ways to die…”
One commenter noted the irony in the tourists’ fascination with bears, pointing out that their actions suggested a complete lack of understanding about the animals. “For people so interested in seeing bears, it is worryingly obvious that none of these clowns has ever watched a documentary about them,” they wrote.
Such reckless behavior is not uncommon at Yellowstone. An Instagram account called Tourons of Yellowstone, which merges the words “tourists” and “morons,” regularly shares videos of visitors engaging in risky behavior at the national park. The account, boasting over 410,000 followers, frequently posts viral videos of tourists’ questionable actions.
In one recent post, a tourist is seen approaching a black bear to take a photo, captioned “step AWAY from the bear, touron.” The account has also documented multiple instances of an unidentified man harassing bears, with the bear eventually charging at him on the third encounter.
The caption reads, “This is now the THIRD video from the same touron who has been harassing black bears… This behavior is unacceptable; we all know that. Even this touron knows that. Please do not harass wild animals in or outside of the park.”
Just last month, another tourist at Yellowstone was criticized for cornering a massive bison while holding a baby. Visitors are required to maintain a distance of at least 25 yards from the bison. The incident provoked over 200 comments online, expressing outrage at the man’s reckless behavior.
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