Yellowstone National Park opened for the summer season on Friday, April 18th and Park Superintendent Cam Sholly was on hand to oversee the smooth arrival of the first of millions of tourists that will drive through the gates of America’s first National Park in coming months.
This summer hundreds of park rangers will patrol Yellowstone working as front line ambassadors for the park. Park ranger duties are widely varied from collecting fees and directing traffic around wildlife jams to providing high-angle rescues in emergency situations and unfortunately actively discouraging the growing trend of tourists approaching wildlife for pictures.
The following video is a prime example of exactly what not to do in a wildlife encounter inside Yellowstone National Park. The woman behind the camera is emergency room nurse Heidi Irby who immediately recognized the danger these two men exposed themselves to as they approached the bison. Irby can be heard saying “Are they serious? Oh my God. I’m going to be a first responder” as the one man attempted to pet the bison while the other pointed a camera to capture the moment.
While one might want to give this pair the benefit of the doubt and believe they were unaware of park policies when it comes to approaching wildlife, that is unlikely as there is ample signage throughout Yellowstone’s 2.2 million acres warning visitors to keep a safe distance. Thankfully these men made it out of this highly avoidable situation unscathed but it was an accident waiting happen. Keep in mind bison have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal.
If you visit Yellowstone National Park this summer please maintain the required 25 yard minimum distance away from bison. Learn more Yellowstone bison safety below.
Yellowstone National Park on Bison Safety:
Bison have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal. Bison are unpredictable and can run three times faster than humans. Always stay at least 25 yards (23 m) away from bison.
- Give bison space when they are near a campsite, trail, boardwalk, parking lot, or in a developed area. If need be, turn around and go the other way to avoid interacting with a wild animal in close proximity. 
- Approaching bison threatens them, and they may respond by bluff charging, head bobbing, pawing, bellowing, or snorting. These are warning signs that you are too close and that a charge is imminent.
- Do not stand your ground. Immediately walk or run away from the animal. Spray bear spray as you are moving away if the animal follows you.
