Yellowstone Tourists Audition for Village Idiot

How steep is the learning curve for many Yellowstone tourists? A bison is the size of a light pickup truck. Cantankerous is part of its nature. Signs are warning the animals aren’t playthings.

The video above was featured on the Tourons of Yellowstone Instagram page. I’m not sure when it took place. It doesn’t look like summer and could be a recent thaw. I guess we’re working on cleaning up the human gene pool. Among some of the best comments on my page:

Can't wait for Touron Tossing Season, and Grizzly Petting Hours to begin in the parks this year.

D.A...SMH

CITYIdiots

Dumbass

People are stupid. I’m from LA and even know better. We had buffalo all over Catalina Island. Never went near them. Very dangerous.

Morons

As you can see, there isn’t much sympathy for people who pester wild animals. There’s a rule of thumb a friend at Idaho Fish and Game once shared. If the animal reacts and moves, you’re far too close. If a bison grunts and scuffs its hooves, you may be close to meeting your maker.

You would think word had gotten around about the dangers at Yellowstone, but in a country where many people can’t answer when the War of 1812 was, what do we expect?

The sad part is, animals goaded into attacks are often put down.

We already can predict some park visitors will be badly hurt this year. Or worse. Auditioning for the role of village idiot comes with a price. R.I.P.