Topless man barks at and chases bears away at national park
A shirtless man is being hunted by authorities after going viral for scaring and chasing away bears at a national park.
The unidentified man was filmed harassing bears at Yellowstone National Park in two separate instances.
In one video, the man sits inside a vehicle with a Sam Smith song playing in the background and opens the door. Another person is heard telling him to ‘leave the door open’.
The man then begins barking and running toward a brown bear in the distance, causing the bear to flee. He then turns around to face the camera, flexes and takes his shirt off, making dog-like noises again.
Similarly in another clip, the man approaches a black bear in the distance. The man, already topless, barks at the bear, which runs away in fear.
The footage was posted on the Instagram page of Tourons of Yellowstone, which shames animal harassers. The National Park Service is on the case, as it is illegal to harass animals inside the park.
‘We’re aware of these videos and are investigating,’ park service spokeswoman Linda Veress told Cowboy State Daily on Monday.
‘The charge in an incident like this would be a Class B misdemeanor with up to six months in jail and $5,000 fine. The charge/s could include for example disturbing wildlife, disorderly conduct (create/maintain a hazardous condition), and/or approaching wildlife.’
Tourons of Yellowstone in its caption asked viewers to ‘be bear aware’.
‘Give them space, leave them in peace, do not chase them, keep at least 100 yards from all bears, carry bear spray, always be aware of your surroundings,’ they wrote.
The standard advice for bear encounters is to never run but to appear large by holding up one’s arms to intimidate a bear and deter it from attacking.
But when it comes to observing wildlife, the National Parks Service urges people to stay at least 300 feet away from bears.
‘If you’re causing the behavior of the animal to change, you’re too close,’ states the agency.
‘Never intentionally get close to a bear. Individual bears have their own personal space requirements, which vary depending on their mood.
‘Each will react differently, and their behavior cannot be predicted. All bears are dangerous and should be respected.’
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