The timing was not intentional. On Tuesday, we published a video we shot in Wyoming鈥檚听Yellowstone National Park imploring viewers to stay as far away from wildlife as possible. On Wednesday, a 9-year-old girl was thrown into the air by a bison after her family of the wild animal.听
The idea behind our video wasn鈥檛 to make people safer. It was to make the animals safer. The park service isn鈥檛 currently commenting on Wednesday鈥檚 incident as the听investigation听is ongoing, but the girl was treated for minor injuries and released the same afternoon. She鈥檚 fine. The bison who charged her might not be. Animals in Yellowstone who get into conflicts with humans often have to be put down.听
While filming in the park, we were chaperoned by a ranger. I asked him what the most important piece of information we could communicate to viewers was. His response was predictable: Stay at least 25 yards away from most wildlife and 100 yards away from wolves and bears. It鈥檚 the same advice given听to all visitors as they enter the park, and it鈥檚 repeated on signage and informational materials throughout the area听.听
It would also seem to be common sense. Bison weigh up to 2,200 pounds. Bears will eat you. Walking right up to a wild animal should produce the kind of instinctual fear response that has allowed our species to survive. But, for some reason, Yellowstone seems to function as an off switch for reasonable behavior. There are听so many animals, and it鈥檚 so easy to see them, that it just interferes with the usual feelings of wonder and surprise that might otherwise keep you at a safe distance.听
All those animals are also what make听Yellowstone special. It鈥檚 one of the few places on the planet where you can see these large creatures听living freely in their natural habitat. That may not always be the case though. By getting so close to the听bison, this girl鈥檚 parents didn鈥檛 just endanger its life; they also, incrementally, threatened the lives of all听the animals roaming free in the park, as well as our opportunities听to see that wildlife听in the future. If human visitors cannot learn to behave, then the park might be forced to put up fences, restrict access, reduce wildlife populations, and generally spoil all the stuff about Yellowstone that makes it so unique.听
The point of our video wasn鈥檛 to improve the quality of your Instagram feed. It was to reduce the impact all of us have on wildlife. If you love animals, stay away from them.听