Summer is upon us, the vacation season with it, and sure as the sun comes up in the morning, somewhere in the USA someone is going to get too close to a big, hairy critter and get hurt. It seems to happen every year, at least once; someone tries to get a selfie with a grizzly bear, a moose, or a bison, and ends up rather the worse for wear. This is almost certainly due to the increasing urbanization of our population, along with the increasing number of people who get their ideas about animals from Disney movies.
In this latest such episode, the tourist in question was in Yellowstone National Park when she tried to get too close to a bison. The bison, being a bison prone to doing bison things, charged to scare her off. Scared she was, too - right into what my kids would call an epic faceplant, right in the middle of the road.
A woman learned the hard way that messing with nature is a very bad idea.
Viral videos of people testing fate with wild animals are right near the top of the list of the best content online.
Nature has plenty of uplifting moments, but it's also full of people doing stuff so stupid that it's honestly mind-boggling.
Really, folks, there's a reason that the Darwin Awards are a thing. Here's what happened:
The popular Instagram page @touronsofnationalparks is known for spotlighting the foolishness of people in national parks.
The page recently posted a video that needs to be seen in order to be believed. A woman decided it was a wise idea to get close to a massive bison in Yellowstone National Park.
How do we think that worked out for her?
Hint: It could have been a lot worse. Watch:
Notice that the bison is not actually charging in the video, but its tail is elevated, which is a sign of aggression in most bovids, including bison, buffalo and domestic cattle. It's a sure sign that the critter in question is sending a message, that being "Stay away!"
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Look, people should know better. A bison is a big, tough critter, and a full-grown, healthy adult has no natural enemies. They aren't genetically programmed to tolerate smaller creatures near them, and they generally react with aggression, not acceptance. It happens up here pretty much every year, not just with bison, but with moose and bears. Moose most of all, in fact. More people are hurt in Alaska every year by moose than by bears.
Anyone who is vacationing in America's wilds this summer must remember: These big animals are not your kids' plushies, and they are not Disney film characters. They are big, fast as strong. They have hooves as hard as iron, long, railroad-spike claws, horns, and teeth. They can reduce a soft, squishy human to a wet spot in the grass in a matter of seconds, and they aren't afraid of you, nor are they friendly. Give them a wide berth - 100 yards is by no means too far.
This has been a public service announcement from the Susitna Valley Stay The Heck Away From Big Animals Information Center.
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