In a harrowing video posted on TikTok, the consequences of disturbing wildlife are made abundantly clear.
Shared by user Unilad (@unilad), a tourist who was seen egging on bison in Yellowstone National Park quickly faced the consequences.
In the video, the man appears to be trying to drive a bison off the road — a common occurrence in Yellowstone that some like to call a “bison jam.” Although these large mammals will slow down traffic, it is strongly recommended not to get out of your vehicle to deal with them.
“Keep away from bison!!” the post’s caption said. As the man walked up and down the road, yelling and gesturing at the bison, the bison could be seen attacking him.
Although the park is home to some notorious predators such as wolves and grizzly bears, bison cause the most damage each year.
It’s not exactly in a bison’s nature to hurt people, but situations like this, if they involve poor judgment, can scare the animals and put them on the defensive.
Yellowstone tourists may have the worst behavior toward bison. A tourist was knocked down by a bison, and a group of people were recently attacked by a bison, with one of them gored.
With bison weighing up to 2,000 pounds, the potential danger to humans is obvious. However, these negative encounters can be equally dangerous for the animals. Whether provoked or not, human contact with wildlife can result in the animal being tranquilized, removed from its home and family, or even euthanized.
The National Park Service has easy-to-follow wildlife viewing rules. “Stay at least 25 yards away from most wildlife and 100 yards away from predators,” the NPS writes.
Commenters on the shocking TikTok video of the animal encounter expressed their shock at the man’s actions and expressed sympathy for the bison.
“If anything happens they’ll put it down. Not cool at all,” one user said.
Another suggested legal action, adding, “This is good evidence of a federal crime.”
As climate-focused organizations and advocacy groups have proven, protecting our environment starts with respecting it. You can be part of positive change by understanding climate issues and making sure your actions only help, not harm, the planet.
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