At least five bison have been struck and killed by vehicles during the past two weeks in Grand Teton National Park, prompting officials to issue a plea to motorists.
At least five bison have been struck and killed by vehicles during the past two weeks in Grand Teton National Park, prompting officials to issue a plea to motorists.
“Seeing wildlife in their natural habitat is one of the many unique opportunities that make Grand Teton National Park a special, awe-inspiring place,” the Wyoming park stated Thursday in a news release. “Motorists can do their part to protect and preserve these animals by slowing down and using caution while driving.”
In addition to the five bison, an elk, a coyote, a pronghorn and a wolf pup have died since mid-October as a result of vehicle strikes.
Bison and other animals are migrating as winter approaches and can appear unexpectedly on roadways. A 45-mph speed limit is supposed to keep motorists and wildlife safe.
“Drivers should use caution and slow down, especially at dawn, dusk, and during the night when visibility is reduced,” the park stated, explaining that even 2,000-pound bison are difficult to spot at night.
Between 75 and 100 large animals are struck by vehicles annually inside Grand Teton National Park.
–Generic bison image is courtesy of Yellowstone National Park
Several tourists acting recklessly approached a herd of bison and caused a stampede in video captured in Yellowstone National Park.
After leaving Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park, Lisa Stewart stopped when she saw a bunch of people by the river, thinking it might be a wolf sighting.
Instead, it was several tourists acting recklessly as they approached a herd of bison and caused a stampede.
Stewart told USA Today/For The Win Outdoors that for up to 10 minutes she witnessed bison grunting and stomping the ground and slowly moving down the hill.
“The people saw them and started walking closer and closer toward the bison,” Stewart explained. “They [the bison] kept getting more agitated by the minute. They walked farther down. Out of my sight, but I could still hear them grunting and blowing.
“While I had my iPhone up taking a picture, I heard the rumble of the stampede and immediately moved my camera from still photos to video and captured the video you see.
“You only see about four-to-six people on the video, but there were more in the same spot the bison come running from,” Stewart said. “The fishermen grabbed their stuff and ran, and then you see the bison running, and I felt relief the people didn’t get trampled.
“Then all the sudden you see the bison appear between the fishermen and tourists, then they turn and run toward the tourists. I was scared for a second, but the second wave of stampeding bison turned again and ran across the river to join the herd on the other side.”
Bystanders yelled at the tourists to get away from the bison and made it known how stupid they were for even being down there, much less walking toward them, Stewart told For The Win Outdoors.
Yellowstone warns visitors that animals in the park are wild and unpredictable, no matter how calm they appear to be. The park says the safest view of wildlife is from the inside of a car. It recommends remaining 100 yards away from bears and wolves, and at least 25 yards away from all other animals, such as bison and elk. Clearly that wasn’t the case here.
“It was amazing that they didn’t heed the warning of grunting, snorting and stomping feet!” Stewart said. “I stopped filming cause I really thought that someone out of view had to have been hurt and was going to help if needed.
“I was actually shaking a tad, for I really thought the bison were going to run through those people.”
Afterward, the tourists made their way back to their vehicles, but they heard an earful from bystanders.
“I could feel the earth rumbling under my feet when it was happening,” Stewart told For The Win Outdoors. “It was one of those moments your stomach turns over at the split moment you think disaster is about to happen.
“Thank goodness nobody was hurt, and I hope they all learned a lesson. It reaffirmed the awesome power of such beautiful creatures in my eyes.”
Two women have been sentenced to two nights in jail and ordered to pay fines for damaging Opal Pool at Yellowstone National Park.
Two women have been sentenced to two nights in jail and ordered to pay fines for venturing off-boardwalk at Yellowstone National Park and causing damage at Opal Pool in the Midway Geyser Basin.
Additionally, Tara L. Davoli, 31, and Sarah A. Piotrowski, 30, both from Philadelphia, were banned from entering Yellowstone for two years as a result of the June 11 incident.
Federal District Court Magistrate Judge Mark L. Carman handed down the sentences this week. Both women were observed by several witnesses as they left the boardwalk in violation of park rules. Some witnesses tried unsuccessfully to stop the women.
A Yellowstone geologist and thermal research crew determined that orange bacterial mats at Opal Pool had been damaged. Each woman was ordered to pay a $350 fine and an additional $106.92 in restitution.
“The rules in our National Parks are there for a reason – to protect visitors and the natural beauty we all want to experience and enjoy,” U.S. Attorney Attorney Mark A. Klaassen stated in a news release issued Thursday. “Just taking a few steps off the boardwalk in a thermal area may seem harmless, but it can really damage the ecosystem and potentially put visitors in danger.”
Cam Sholly, Yellowstone National Park Superintendent, thanked the Wyoming U.S. Attorney’s Office for “continuing to help us protect Yellowstone’s resources.”
The case was investigated by the National Park Service.
Yellowstone takes such cases seriously for good reason. Thermal areas are extremely sensitive and the ground is unstable and can contain scalding water just beneath the surface.
Last September a 48-year-old tourist was severely burned after he fell into a hot spring near Old Faithful.
In 2016 a man died after he fell into a hot spring at Norris Geyser Basin, and in 2000 a man died and two other tourists were severely burned after they fell into a hot spring at Lower Geyser Basin.
–Image showing Opal Pool (top) is courtesy of the National Park Service. Other Midway Geyser Basin images are courtesy of Pete Thomas
As tourists watched a pride of lions in a South Africa’s Kruger National Park earlier this month, one of them tried to open their car door.
As tourists stopped to watch a pride of lions earlier this month in South Africa’s Kruger National Park, one of them tried to open their car door.
The accompanying footage, captured by Nick Shillan, shows the young male lion’s brief but determined effort to unlatch the door handle with its teeth.
The clip was posted to Facebook by Latest Sightings – Kruger on Friday with a statement explaining that tourists should not put themselves in position to allow something like this to happen.
Some of the comments pointed to the danger of photographing lions at close proximity through open windows.
Shillan, however, told For The Win Outdoors that he had a camera tripod mounted with clamps to his window and it blocked the window’s opening. The video camera was attached to the tripod with a moveable gimbal.
Shillan, who was with his wife Angela, said they encountered a pride of 13 lions only 20 minutes after driving into the southern portion of the park.
“I was recording the male lions roaring when I noticed that a young male was sniffing my tire,” Shillan said. “So I started to record him. By luck he started to bite the door handle.
“We then spent another 15 minutes with the rest of the pride. I was never in danger. My window was open but the camera was blocking it.”
As viewers can see, a bang to the door caused the startled lion to retreat. It’s likely that the lion was simply curious about the vehicle.
