Yellowstone Park officials are on the chase of a man who allegedly jumped out of a car and scared a black bear.
A viral Instagram video appeared to show an unidentified man jumping out of his Toyota. He appears to rush and grunt at a black bear, which runs off in fear. A friend of the “brave” man makes sure to leave the car’s door open in case the whole situation sours and laughs when the animal gets scared. The man on the video then turns toward the camera, rips off his shirt, and starts to snarl like a gorilla while flexing his muscles. (RELATED: Ring Doorbell Shows Bear And Asheville Man’s Confrontation)
The video was published on the Instagram account “Tourons of Yellowstone.” According to the Cowboy State Daily, It was immediately shared with Yellowstone Park authorities.
A man who has been recorded numerous times jumping out of a car and running after bears in Yellowstone has not yet been identified, but Yellowstone authorities are trying to track him down. https://t.co/4nsX92kT2D
— Cowboy State Daily (@daily_cowboy) June 5, 2023
Park Service spokeswoman Linda Veress assured the public that park officials are looking for the man in the video. “We’re aware of these videos and are investigating. The charge in an incident like this would be a Class B misdemeanor with up to six months in jail and $5,000 fine,” Veress said. “The charge/s could include for example disturbing wildlife, disorderly conduct (create/maintain a hazardous condition), and/or approaching wildlife.”
What terrifies Yellowstone authorities is that this trend can end up in tragedy with the man terrifying the wrong bear and becoming the perfect example of “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.”
Yellowstone witnessed another dangerous moment in May when a woman reached out to a bison. The animal responded to the gesture by charging and attacking the woman.