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‘Touron' sparks outrage after walking toddler up to wild bison inside Yellowstone National Park: ‘I was shocked'
A tourist has sparked outrage after being filmed walking up to a wild bison in Yellowstone National Park and taking a small child with them.
The shocking incident was captured on video, with users accusing the person of child endangerment. A woman wearing a pink hat walks alongside the toddler as they approach the enormous animal, which is grazing by the side of the road.
The National Parks Service requires visitors to maintain a minimum distance of 25 yards from all wildlife, including bison, elk, and deer. The individuals reportedly had ignored the signs posted around the park and the warnings of multiple people.
Jennifer Gunderson, a retired professional photographer from Northwood, Ohio, who filmed the incident, said the tourist and the child were 'close enough to spit' on the bison, adding that 'never in a million years' had she witnessed 'such stupidity.'
She told The Independent that she and her husband had been having lunch at the Pebble Creek picnic area, when they heard shouting and saw a few parents with small children making their way towards a bison.
'We also shouted with the others but none of these families responded and kept getting closer,' she said. 'The people next to me were on the phone with park services so I decided to start recording in case of an incident and evidence was needed.'
Gunderson and her husband are hunters, and so are familiar with the safe distances needed around larger wildlife. In addition, she said, they had planned their 20th anniversary vacation celebration for Yellowstone and had seen similar videos of tourists approaching bison.
'We have watched and followed the Tourons of Yellowstone Instagram account and shaken our heads at some of the things posted. Never in our wildest dreams would we witness it in person,' she told The Independent.
'I was shocked that people would get that close to a wild animal let alone bring small children with them.'
The word 'touron' – combining tourist and moron – refers to someone who ignores the dangers around them while on vacation.
According to the National Parks Service a fully grown male bison can weigh up to 2,000 pounds, while a female can weigh up to 1,000 pounds. They can be aggressive, are agile and can run up to 30 miles an hour.
Though neither the tourist or the child were hurt, cases of animal attacks are common in Yellowstone.
On Tuesday tourist was gored after 'a large group of visitors approached it too closely,' park officials said. The 30-year-old man, from Randolph, New Jersey, sustained minor injuries and received treatment at the scene, according to park officials.
