Officials at Yellowstone National Park said Thursday they are investigating an incident captured in a recent viral video of a man taunting a bison in Hayden Valley.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Superintendent Dan Wenk called the man’s actions "reckless, dangerous and illegal.
"We need people to be stewards of Yellowstone, and one way to do that is to keep your distance from wildlife. Park regulations require people to stay at least 25 yards from animals like bison and elk, and 100 yards from bears and wolves. These distances safeguard both visitors and the remarkable experience of sharing a landscape with thousands of freely-roaming animals. People who ignore these rules are risking their lives and threatening the park experience for everyone else," Wenk said in the statement.
The video was posted by Lindsey Jones Tuesday evening. It’s been shared with several media outlets and gone viral. As of Thursday afternoon, it had been viewed on Q2 more than 29,000 times.
The video shows a man in the road taunting a bison. At one point, the bison begins to charge the man, who quickly dodges out of the way.
Rangers said park visitors should tell ranger or call 911 if they witness behavior in the park that might danger themselves or the park.
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