Going to Yellowstone? Don't do this...

[d3500ram]

I do not know what to think other than misguided animal rights activists perhaps.

2 Yellowstone visitors reportedly take bison calf for a ride in SUV


Two tourists took a bison calf for a ride in an SUV this week during a visit to Yellowstone National Park, EastIdahoeNews.com reports.

Park rangers ticketed the pair, a man and his son who were visiting from another country, after they pulled up to a ranger station Monday with the animal in the vehicle, according to the news website. They apparently thought the calf was cold.

“They were demanding to speak with a ranger,” Karen Richardson told the news website. “They were seriously worried that the calf was freezing and dying.”

Richardson, of Victor, Idaho, was on a field trip with a group of fifth-graders and other parents.

She snapped a photo of the animal in the SUV and posted it on Facebook, EastIdahoNews.com reported.

“Dear tourists: the bison calf is not cold and it is not lost. PUT IT BACK,” her post said.

Another parent on the field trip with Richardson, Rob Heusevelt, told EastIdahoNews.com it didn't faze the duo they were breaking the law. Yellowstone visitors aren’t supposed to approach wildlife or get too close to large animals.

“They didn’t care,” Heusevelt told the website. “They sincerely thought they were doing a service and helping that calf by trying to save it from the cold.”

He said the bison calf was driven back to where it was found and released.

Last month, a Yellowstone visitor approached a bison lounging on the grass and reached out to pet the giant animal, a scene caught on video.

"She's totally antagonizing it. Where are the rangers?" a shocked witness is heard saying in the video.

[dave17352]

This is a individual choice for the ranger involved. Just as a PO can give a warning and not a ticket. If I was the ranger and truly believed the people did this out of total ignorance and actual caring (as misguided as it was) I would not be inclined to write a ticket. But oh well. In my close to 60 years I have dealt with a few law enforcement officers that I thought were silly but most of them I thought were just doing there job.

[coolbreeze01]

The animal could have been saved, but the Government stepped in. They kill animals for a living.
Check into it..........

[2gypsies1]

Yellowstone and other major national parks give out literature in different languages. There's no excuse.

[mlts22]

I hate to ask, but whatever happened to common sense? A wild animal is not a pet. Heck, even "tame" deer can kill someone if they are ticked off enough.

There was a book mentioned about deaths in Yellowstone. It is definitely worth a read. The term that comes to mind: Autodarwination.

[4X4Dodger]

coolmom42 wrote:
There are signs and warnings all over Yellowstone about approaching bison. I don't care how good their intentions were, these people chose to disregard the warnings and do something they were practically BEGGED not to do. They don't seem to be the type of people who would have payed much attention to one more warning. MAYBE the fine got their attention.

I do wonder if there is really any way to enforce collection of the fines, especially for people from another country.

The signs dont mean anything if you are Chinese from the PRC. The script used for Chinese in Yellowstone is the ancient one used only in Taiwan. Most people from the PRC read only the newer modern version. So the signs do them no good.

Believe it or not this kind of thing is often a park service problem. Our parks are visited by millions of foreign visitors many cannot read English, or read it well enough to understand the warnings.

Imagine yourself in a Chinese National park, where almost all of the signs are in the Chinese Characters. Or substitute Arabic or even Indonesian...

Many of these warnings could be translated into international symbol type signs with a little imagination. And the Park Service has got to get up to date and get the right Characters for the Chinese.

[Kenneth_Neal]

My newspaper reported the culprits were from Canada.

[JohnG4706]

Read the other day that the rangers tried to reintroduce the calf to the herd. After several attempts, the herd rejected the calf and the rangers had to euthanize the calf.

When I was in Jasper last year, the elk were in their rutting season. Saw several head buttings. Even though there were signs every where, I saw people taking their young kids, too young to walk yet, sit them on the ground about 25 feet from the elks, backup 25 feet to get a picture. STUPID! The elks could have covered the 25 feet in two leaps, before they could react. They were VERY lucky.

[beemerphile1]

Dave H M wrote:
You could not pay me to try to drive thru Cade's Cove again - ever. :S

Been there many times, the traffic is light in the morning. Just coincidentally, morning is also when the animals are most active.

Cades Cove is great for bicycle riding on the mornings they shut it off from cars.

Getting back to the topic of wildlife, a couple years ago at Cades Cove two cubs came tumbling out of the woods 25' in front of us. I nervously looked around for mama but never saw her. The cubs were oblivious to our presence and after a few minutes rambled back up the hill into the woods. NO, I did not try to pet them! :B

[Dave_H_M]

You could not pay me to try to drive thru Cade's Cove again - ever. :S

[Tom_Mary_Lou]

Campinghoss@51 wrote:
Looking thru this thread reminded me of our trip last year to Cades Cove. The rangers and volunteers tell you NOT to approach bears beside the one lane road on foot. However as soon as someone sees a bear gathering food they pull over, walk back and get too close to them to take a picture. The rangers actually have to rush to these locations and put up yellow tape, post rangers and volunteers to keep the cars moving and try to stop folks from parking a far distance away and walking back. All folks need to do is use a little common sense when you visit wild animals backyards.

Saw same when we visited Cades Cove many yes ago. I guess you just can't fix stupid

[Campinghoss]

Looking thru this thread reminded me of our trip last year to Cades Cove. The rangers and volunteers tell you NOT to approach bears beside the one lane road on foot. However as soon as someone sees a bear gathering food they pull over, walk back and get too close to them to take a picture. The rangers actually have to rush to these locations and put up yellow tape, post rangers and volunteers to keep the cars moving and try to stop folks from parking a far distance away and walking back. All folks need to do is use a little common sense when you visit wild animals backyards.

[Tom_Barb]

Tom/Mary Lou wrote:
I haven't even read all here but have read a lot on FB today. Frankly I am amazed at the posts critical of the park service. We were in Yellowstone last July and were amazed every day, all day at the examples of imbecilic human behavior. Anyone with even one brain cell should be able to tell a bison is not something to play with. I witnessed one park ranger literally running around one of the geyser stops trying to keep the idiot visitors from petting bull bisons in rut. While it is sad the calf had to be put down those responsible are the idiot visitors not the NPS. I kinda think they may know more about animal management than most of us.

Actually the stupid ones helped the Park Service, the herd is way to big for the land they have to graze. the park service kills a couple hundred each year.

That Calf could have been given to any of the thousands of buffalo farmers and raised on the bottle. then in 5-6 years, it could have been sold for $6-8000.
Buffalo is meat, expensive meat, for those heart patients that require very low cholesterol meat.
But oh hell no, park rules and all that. (bang) What's for supper.

[Tom_Mary_Lou]

I haven't even read all here but have read a lot on FB today. Frankly I am amazed at the posts critical of the park service. We were in Yellowstone last July and were amazed every day, all day at the examples of imbecilic human behavior. Anyone with even one brain cell should be able to tell a bison is not something to play with. I witnessed one park ranger literally running around one of the geyser stops trying to keep the idiot visitors from petting bull bisons in rut. While it is sad the calf had to be put down those responsible are the idiot visitors not the NPS. I kinda think they may know more about animal management than most of us.

[dodge_guy]

NYCgrrl wrote:
The calf was killed recently:

http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-bison-yellowstone-20160516-snap-htmlstory.html

I wonder if the bison had already been rejected prior to it's car ride?
Sounds like it's behavior was uncharacteristic.

No, that's exactly what happens when the scent of the bison calf has changed. And is exactly why no one should touch them. Anyone caught doing so should be removed from the park for 2 years minimum. It is a very clear message, don't go near or touch the wildlife! Simple!