As tourists season ramps up in Yellowstone, so do the morons that ruin it for the rest of us.
The webcams around Yellow Stone National Park have captured multiple instances where ignorant tourists have put themselves in harm's way for a variety of reasons - ranging from wanting to get closer to the wildlife or climbing over barriers to get a better selfie.
An Instagram account titled 'Tourons of Yellowstone' compiles all of the instances in which a 'touron,' the combination of a 'tourist' and a 'mouron', does yet another unbelievably stupid charade, defiling the park's rules time and time again.
If anything, the account serves as an example of 'what not to do' as the parks rules and regulations are linked in the bio for its nearly 500,000 followers.
The account is open to submissions as a way encourage visitors to hold each other accountable.
Pictured: A tourist risking their life by climbing over the rails at Yellowstone National Park for the sake of a snapshot.
An Instagram account titled 'Tourons of Yellowstone' (pictured) compiles all of the instances in which a 'touron,' the combination of a 'tourist' and a 'mouron', does yet another unbelievably stupid charade, defiling the park's rules time and time again
The Tourons of Yellowstone account serves as an example of 'what not to do' as the parks rules and regulations are linked in the bio for its nearly 500,000 followers (Pictured: a clip of a tourist taking videos of a fellow tourist climbing over the rails at the park for picture and video)
Post from the Facebook Group - Yellowstone National Park: Invasion of The Idiots
A recently submitted clip shows three tourists risking their lives for the sake of a snapshot.
'I was at the Upper Falls Middle Brink and three people decided to climb over the stone wall and onto the side of the mountain for better pictures,' the caption of the clip said, citing the user's submission description.
'This video was sent to the authorities. Please do not climb over the railings! This is so dangerous! And if you slip and fall and die then someone has to risk their life to go retrieve your body!' the rest of the caption read. 'Please follow the rules and be safe! You don't want to end up in the new edition of 'Death in Yellowstone.''
Another recent clip from the park's Old Faithful webcam, footage shows a touron within arms length of a bison, venturing off the established trail to interact with the wildlife.
'I was yelling at my computer,' Connie Witte Reynolds told Cowboy State Daily, who watched the scene unfold in a classroom with her students. 'There was actually another bison there with this one a bit later. A person came from the other direction and walked within arm's length.'
And this is only the beginning of spring. The largest influx of tourists visit Yellowstone during the height of spring or fall. But these tourons are getting a head start this year.
'We're already seeing new levels of stupidity this year,' Jen Mignard, owner of the Facebook page Yellowstone National Park: Invasion of the Idiots, told Cowboy State Daily. 'I suspect that with even more tourism, we're going to see a lot more really negative actions coming out of the park.'
The park's West Entrance and several interior roads just opened to the public, but videos of tourists wreaking havoc are already circulating on social media.
'The first true touron incident I've seen was a few days ago,' Mignard said. 'Someone was lying in the middle of the road, taking a picture of a bison as it walked up the hill toward him. I bet they let him get within 20 feet, then jumped up and ran off the road.'
A recent clip from the park's Old Faithful webcam, footage shows a touron within arms length of a bison, venturing off the established trail to interact with the wildlife
'We're already seeing new levels of stupidity this year,' Jen Mignard, owner of the Facebook page Yellowstone National Park: Invasion of the Idiots, told Cowboy State Daily
The tourists' close interactions with wildlife are the most common occurrence caught on camera
The man in the video had a large professional lens on his camera, one meant to capture high-quality zoomed-in imaged from a distance. Moving closer to the subject with that kind of lens ultimately defeats the purpose of the attachment, Mignard said.
Per park regulations, tourists are to stay at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves, and at least 25 yards from less threatening animals, such as bison and elk.
But a clip posted Thursday on the touron Instagram account showed two tourists walking along the side of the road, coming up right next to a mother and baby bison without any regard for their space.
And this was not an isolated incident. The tourists' close interactions with wildlife are the most common occurrence caught on camera. Another video shows a line of cars trying to get into the park, with people getting out of their cars to take pictures of the bison crossing the street.
A clip posted Thursday on the touron Instagram account showed two tourists walking along the side of the road, coming up right next to a mother and baby bison without any regard for their space.
If anything, the account serves as an example of 'what not to do' as the parks rules and regulations are linked in the bio for its nearly 500,000 followers (Pictured: A couple walking near a baby bison without adhering the 25-foot distance park rule about staying away from wildlife)
'Once people are given free rein to take themselves through the park, and they think that there's no one supervising them, rules no longer apply,' Mignard said. 'And then it breaks loose, and they do really dangerous activities.'
Mignard said he believes idealized social media coverage of Yellowstone has desensitized visitors to the real dangers of the wildlife
'It's over tourism and this sense of familiarity that people have because they do see the pictures,' she said. 'And when (tourists) have this false sense of security due to familiarity, that's a recipe for trouble.'
Last year, tourists wreaked just as much havoc across the national park.
In May 2023, a clueless Yellowstone National Park tourist was nearly covered in boiling hot water after he wandered towards the famous Old Faithful geyser right before it erupted.
The man was filmed strolling towards the hot spring as crowds of panicked people shouted at him to turn back.
He ignored the pleas and casually strolled towards the geyser which is one of just six in the park that regularly erupt at temperatures of up to 244 degrees Fahrenheit.
That same month, two tourists came dangerously close to being gored by bisons at Yellowstone National Park in shocking videos posted within the span of two weeks.
Meme posted on April 20, 2024 to the Facebook Group - Yellowstone National Park: Invasion of The Idiots¿! by Facebook User Tim Owen. Owen wrote "I got my Yellowstone Bingo card! I wonder how many of the dumb things stupid visitor do will I score this season?"
A clueless Yellowstone National Park tourist was nearly covered in boiling hot water after he wandered toward the famous Old Faithful geyser right before it erupted
A video shows another woman taking a selfie, just inches away from the massive beast in Yellowstone National Park
A woman came dangerously close to being gored by a bison while attempting to pet a bison at Yellowstone National Park
The video captured a woman extending her hand in an attempt to touch the bison.
In a split second, the bison lunged forward, giving the impression that it was about to charge. The woman quickly retreated in a panic, stumbling over herself in the process.
The frightened screams of the group can be heard in the background.
