Elk are usually considered docile animals, certainly not predators like Grizzly Bears, but when people invade their space, they do have their limits.
A man in Yellowstone National Park found out the hard way not to test an elk that became irked and forced a man into a pen to escape the bull from charging and possibly injuring (or worse) the misguided tourist.
The clip, shared on the Instagram account TouronsOfYellowstone, shows a woman seen sprinting back to the parking lot while the man has no other choice but to duck through fence rails, avoiding being knocked down. Other tourists in close proximity of the hulking, half-ton elk can be seen scattering in all directions in the background while the man becomes effectively trapped in a small enclosure surrounding a small tree.
The video of the incident is one example of many this season of tourists not exercising their best judgement when it comes to interacting with wild animals in the nation’s first National Park. Other recent incidents have involved people trying to pet bison, making gorilla noises at bears, and touching hot springs.
In fact, earlier this season, the National Park service posted a warning to anyone who may be visiting YNP this year to please exercise extreme caution when they are around wildlife. “Approaching wild animals can drastically affect their well-being and, in some cases, their survival. When an animal is near a campsite, trail, boardwalk, parking lot, on a road, or in a developed area, leave it alone and give it space.
Park regulations require that you stay at least 25 yards (23 m) away from all wildlife (including bison, elk and deer) and at least 100 yards (91 m) away from bears and wolves. Disregarding these regulations can result in fines, injury, and even death,” states the release put out in June.
