d2b2 Loc: Catonsville, Maryland, USA

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

Unless you sneak in through the woods you cannot enter Yellowstone without being warned to avoid approaching bison and moose. I recall one of the tourist information centers running the video of the man being tossed up in the air by a bison and then stomped - they ran that on an endless loop over and over - hard to miss! But, as the ip says, "you can't fix stupid" - a shame about the kids of stupid, though.

My kids found a great book in the gift shop there, written by one of the park historians, called "Death in Yellowstone". Amazing stories of stupidity (people finding out the hard way that the hot springs are NOT hot tubs, people placing their 3-year old on top of a bison to get that great vacation photo, etc...) as well as a very cogent discussion of keeping these areas wild versus "making them safe". Several years later, when we went to the Grand Canyon, they checked out the bookstore, and sure enough - there was an equivalent book, well-named: "Over the edge: death at the Grand Canyon". This book is divided into three parts: those who have died going over the edge, either accidentally or on purpose (and a discussion about just how much fencing do we want really), death while boating the Colorado River through the canyon, and the third part, about people who have died while hiking, features one of the best discussions of heat illness and dehydration that I have seen anywhere.

edwdickinson Loc: Ardmore PA

I remember when I was a kid I was at Cypress Gardens and some boys were throwing rocks at a gator. One of the guides advised the boys that they should stop because the gator was faster on land than in the water and was faster than they were.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

I see many cases where tourists do not seem to understand that they are dealing with wild animals. In the Everglades National Park I have practically seen everything. In one occasion I warned an Asiatic tourist who was ready to grab the tail of an alligator taking the sun by the edge of a canal. I do not know if he understood me but I warned him of the consequences of such act. I talked to one of the Rangers there and he told me that similar acts were happening all the time, that people did not seem to read the warning signs.

I have been to Yellowstone in a couple of occasions and I have seen how stupid people could be. In one occasion it was a mama bear with two cubs and people were trying to get close till a Ranger stopped them and lectured them on wildlife. I have seen them get close to bisons and those videos show clearly what could happen and in some cases with fatal consequences.

I guess people do not learn!

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

You are correct. I seem to recall maybe 50-60 years ago reading an article in Readers Digest about a couple in Yellowstone who thought it would be cute to put jelly on the face of their infant child so they could take a picture of a black bear licking the babies face. Of course things didn't go as planned. The bear didn't know it was just supposed to lick the baby. Throughout my life in different occupations I have told myself I would never again see something this stupid, this violent, this unbelievable. And then, yup you guessed it, maybe a few days later something much worse happened.

People are amazing in their lack of common sense.

Dennis

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Blame it on modern medicine and health/safety measures. We have interfered with the working of Darwin's ideas by protecting them or saving them from their own dumb mistakes.
The stupid who would have died of something like an infection from an injury while young live to grow up and have kids whom they teach by example to be stupid also.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

I'm lucky enough to be headed to Yellowstone this coming January on a photography tour. I've never been there and want to go in the off season so I don't have to contend with all those dumb asses and the crowds. I think the snow covered Yellowstone with bison, wolves, bobcats, and other wildlife should be very picturesque. I've seen most of those videos and all of them should be arrested.

Los-Angeles-Shooter Loc: Los Angeles

East Coast tourists sometimes ask rangers about the best places to see jackalopes in the wild.

josquin1 Loc: Massachusetts

If it weren't for the animals I'd like to see Yellowstone blow up.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Many "kids" have been brought up in a bubble, never being exposed or understanding dangerous things or situations. Sad.

Sunnely Loc: Wisconsin

Heard from the staff where we stayed when we were there last year (Late August into Sept) that snow-covered Yellowstone in Winter is even prettier. Most are seasonal workers from different parts of the country getting ready to go back home. Workers are mixed of young and old who enjoy their work; most return year after year. Some stay for the winter.

All advised us not to act stupid when wild life animals are close. To stay in our vehicles when they're near especially when with their babies. They remind us these animals can outrun us.

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

Yes but their parents are in the same thought process or you would not see stupid parents right there next to the ignorant kids. The one video showing a grinning idiot mother with kids that were just charged by a bison is a great example. She thinks the kids beat the bison but he only let them run off.

Dennis

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

The "parents" are the "kids" I'm talking about.
I'm not talking about the little ones you see there.
Bubble raising did not recently start, it started over 30 YEARS ago!

TylerDurdensReel Loc: Fresno Ca.

I don't believe any one of them is acting.

Harry0 Loc: Gardena, Cal

Yup. The Disney Effect.
Just saw on the news where a bison hooked some dummy and threw him almost straight up.
Ever watch the "Faces of Death" videos?

Most of these folk would have died early off a while ago.
But we've protected them, and they breed.