Footage circulating online appears to show a group of tourists at Yellowstone National Park getting out of their vehicles and running toward a mother grizzly bear foraging with her cubs, in what wildlife officials and safety experts have described as extremely dangerous behaviour. The videos, shared widely on X, have prompted a wave of criticism over the tourists’ apparent disregard for park safety rules.
According to the footage, a group of visitors pulled over on a road within the park before exiting their vehicles and running toward the bear and her cubs as they foraged nearby in the grass. In at least one clip, a person can be seen carrying a small child while approaching the animals. Some similar videos circulating online show what may instead be a large black bear rather than a grizzly, though the behaviour captured is consistent across the clips. At the latest update, there were no reports of any injuries linked to the incident, though the footage has drawn widespread condemnation online.
Why approaching bears is so dangerous
Wildlife experts warn that mother grizzly bears are among the most defensive animals in North America and may charge with little warning if they perceive a threat to their cubs. Bears are also capable of closing distances extremely quickly, and similar close encounters in the past have resulted in serious injuries. Yellowstone’s park regulations require visitors to remain at least 100 yards, or roughly 91 metres, away from bears and wolves, and at least 25 yards from other large animals such as bison or elk. Approaching more closely than this is a violation of park rules and can lead to fines or other enforcement action.
The ‘bear jam’ problem
Incidents where crowds gather around wildlife sightings are commonly referred to within the park as “bear jams.” While traffic stopping for wildlife is a routine occurrence in Yellowstone, officials note that crowds can quickly escalate the risk to both visitors and animals, by crowding the animals, causing them stress, and blocking roadways in the process. Rangers regularly remind visitors that remaining inside a vehicle offers a far safer way to observe wildlife than approaching on foot, particularly when animals are close to the road.
Not an isolated incident
This is far from the first time such behaviour has been caught on camera at Yellowstone. Similar incidents occur most years, with viral footage periodically showing visitors treating the park’s wildlife as though it were part of a zoo exhibit, including past cases of tourists approaching bears for selfies, as well as a 2023 clip showing people running toward a mother bear and her cubs.
What officials recommend instead
Yellowstone has repeatedly urged visitors to use binoculars, spotting scopes or telephoto lenses to view wildlife safely from a distance, rather than approaching on foot. Recommended safety practices include staying in or near a vehicle wherever possible, since cars can act as a safe barrier; pulling over fully and using hazard lights without blocking traffic if stopping to view an animal; and never running, yelling or approaching wildlife, instead backing away slowly if an animal takes notice. Visitors are also encouraged to follow guidance from park rangers and report any dangerous behaviour they witness.
Consequences can extend to the animals themselves
Officials have stressed that unsafe behaviour by visitors doesn’t only put people at risk. Bears that repeatedly come into conflict with humans can become habituated or defensive over time, and in some cases may need to be relocated or, in extreme circumstances, euthanised as a result of repeated negative interactions caused by human pressure.
