Debate Sparked as Tourists Encounter Bear and Cubs at Yellowstone

• A crowd at Yellowstone National Park was captured on video surrounding a mother bear and her cubs.
• According to Yellowstone National Park, visitors should maintain a distance of at least 300 feet from bears.
• Recent years have seen an increase in disruptive tourist behavior in national parks.

Earlier this month, a group of enthusiastic tourists surrounded a mother bear and her cubs at Yellowstone National Park, capturing the moment in a video. The incident has sparked a discussion about proper human behavior around wildlife.

The video was shared on Instagram by the account “touronsofyellowstone,” which showcases questionable acts by tourists at Yellowstone National Park. In the footage, filmed on August 4, visitors can be seen crowding around the bear family, taking photos and even approaching the bears despite being told to give them space.

Yellowstone National Park has not yet responded to requests for comment. However, the video has garnered strong reactions from viewers who believe the tourists were too close to the bears and should have left the animals alone.

Joe McDonald/ Getty Images

One commenter expressed concern over the increasing number of visitors to the park, stating that it is becoming out of control.

The National Park Service recommends that visitors at Yellowstone National Park maintain a distance of at least 100 yards (300 feet) from bears. They also advise against approaching or pursuing animals for photographs, suggesting the use of binoculars or telephoto lenses instead.

The agency warns that wild animals are unpredictable and dangerous, and that close interactions can result in injuries. Animals that attack humans may be euthanized as a precaution.

Incidents involving bears and wildlife have occurred in the past at Yellowstone National Park, including a woman being charged by a grizzly bear while taking photos and park rangers having to euthanize a bison calf after it was lifted out of a river by a visitor, causing the herd to reject it.