Part of the magic of visiting Yellowstone National Park is how close you get to be around the flora and fauna of the gorgeous park.
Sure, the geysers and formations and river are great, but there’s nothing like being just feet away from majestic animals. Bison, bears, chipmunks and more are just some of the few species you get to be up close and personal with.
Of course, some of those mentioned are massive, powerful animals like bison. Watching the slow-moving life of a bison herd in Yellowstone National Park, but it’s a different story when they’re surrounding your car.
This video shows exactly what we mean.
Wow. The animals are peaceful, but that doesn’t mean that you’re not completely aware of how these massive animals could do a ton of damage.
All the same, it appears like all vehicles and visitors were just fine. Now, they’ve got a video of one of the most unique experiences one can have at Yellowstone National Park.
Record Setting Numbers for Historic Park Has Drawbacks
4.47 million people visited Yellowstone National Park this year, which is an awesome thing. More people getting outdoors and visiting our country’s greatest locations is a good thing.
However, it creates a new set of problems. More visitors means tougher logistics all around, and that’s what the park is facing. It’s a problem seen all over the country: worker shortages.
“The staff is under a substantial amount of stress that comes with managing that level of visitation,” park superintendent Cam Sholly said.
So while it’s easy to rest on your laurels and celebrate, the park now has to figure out how to prep for next summer.
“The workforce shortage that a lot of businesses experienced throughout the country,” Sholly said. “That hit Yellowstone, especially with some of the food and beverage operations and trying to keep employees and keep service levels where they’d normally be.”
Yellowstone National Park’s Neighbor Issues Warning About Bison
Unfortunately, we now turn to the problems the park is running into with its bison population. With an influx of visitors and record-setting numbers, Grand Teton National Park is seeing more accidents and, tragically, more bison are being killed.
Earlier this month, the park announced that five bison had been killed in a two-week period due to motorists. While bison being hit by vehicles is something that happens every year, this has been an anomaly.
“Seeing wildlife in their natural habitat,” the statement started. “Is one of the many unique opportunities that make Grand Teton National Park a special, awe-inspiring place. Motorists can do their part to protect and preserve these animals by slowing down and using caution while driving.”
In addition, an elk, a pronghorn, a wolf pup and a coyote have all been killed due to accidents.
“Drivers should use caution and slow down,” the statement added. “Especially at dawn, dusk, and during the night when visibility is reduced.”
So take it slow folks. The beauty of national parks can often be distracting. But the idea of “leave no trace” still holds the most weight.