Yellowstone National Park is seeking the public’s help identifying a tourist who approached dangerously close to a grizzly bear earlier this month, nearly prompting an attack.
The woman, who was not injured, can be seen in the accompanying footage trying to take photos of a momma bear and two cubs from a distance of less than 30 yards.
The bear responded by bluff-charging, a behavior intended to ward off potential threats. The frightened woman turned and quickly walked away, extremely fortunate that she did not inspire an actual attack.
Check out this clip of a @YellowstoneNPS grizzly bear bluff charging a tourist that got too close. Darcie Addington took this from the safety of her vehicle. She doesn’t know the other woman, but says several people warned her. Remember to give bears at least 100 yards of space. pic.twitter.com/7rnMgKGNxm
— NBC Montana (@NBCMontana) May 12, 2021
The video footage was captured by Darcie Addington, a tourist who watched from inside a vehicle. The image atop this post was provided by the park.
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Park rules state that tourists must stay at least 100 yards from bears and wolves whenever possible, especially while outside vehicles. Tourists who act recklessly around wildlife can be cited.
U.S. Park Rangers also are involved in the investigation.
The incident occurred May 10 at about 4:45 p.m. at Roaring Mountain. In a news release posted Tuesday on Facebook, the park stated:
“The unidentified woman is described as white, mid 30’s, brown hair, and wearing black clothing. If you were around Roaring Mountain on May 10, 2021 at 4:45PM, or you have information that could help, please contact NPS Investigative Services Branch at:
“Call or Text: 888-653-0009; Online: www.nps.gov/ISB; Email: nps_isb@nps.gov.”
Besides issuing distance guidelines pertaining to wildlife, Yellowstone constantly reminds tourists that they’re responsible for their own safety.
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