A family of tourists were caught being chased by an angry bison in Yellowstone National Park after getting too close to the animal for comfort.
The video of the family of four was posted on an Instagram account called ‘Tourons of Yellowstone’, which compiles examples of outrageous behaviour by those the account deems ‘asshole tourists’ in the park.
Footage captured the disgruntled bison charging towards the family (two adults and two small children) through the trees.
The family had turned off the paved path into the trees when the bovine, visibly irritated and with its tail raised, ran toward them.
—Hailey, Hailey, stay there! Don’t move. Stand next to the tree and don’t move —the father told his daughter, who was wearing a pink T-shirt.
A disgruntled bison was captured on camera attacking a family of four after they strayed off a paved road in Yellowstone.
The bison, visibly irritated and with its tail raised, charged towards the family through the trees.
The family ran out of the trees as the angry bison ran and sought shelter behind a tree at the edge of the road.
After the first creature ran past, a second bison followed it while the family remained hidden.
Once both bison passed, the family continued down the trail, the mother holding her son’s hand while the father carried his daughter.
Commentators criticized the family for getting so close to the wildlife.
“What did these people expect? This is not a petting zoo,” one person said.
“Why do people get brain scans when they’re around wild animals? It’s really mind-blowing,” said another.
A third person said: “Wouldn’t you be mad if you had to deal with tourones?”
Others praised the parents for keeping their children safe and getting them out of danger.
“That bison seemed to have come out of nowhere quite upset, the father remained calm and so did the little girl, she is brave and very lucky to have calmly listened to her father. Very lucky,” said one person.
As the family sought shelter among the trees along the road, a second bison ran across the pavement behind the first bovine.
“I’m very impressed by the father and daughter. She seemed calm and obeyed her father without question. He actually pushed the bison out of the way,” said another.
Several cases of “tourones” have gone viral this summer, including a video showing a group wandering off the boardwalk into a Yellowstone hot spring.
Yellowstone hot springs have extremely high temperatures, close to boiling point or even hotter.
In the video, people can be seen walking through the thermal fog while picking up things from the ground.
Tourists risked serious burns or being hit by toxic fumes by ignoring signs stipulating that visitors should stay on designated paths and the boardwalk.