- The National Park Service urged people to avoid touching wild animals at Yellowstone National Park by posting a sarcastic infographic to Facebook on Thursday.
- The infographic, titled “Wildlife Petting Chart,” featured an illustrated bison with phrases like “vacation over” and “do you have insurance” written over different parts of its body.
- The infographic was posted hours after a video showing a man petting a bison surfaced on the internet.
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The National Park Service has a piece of advice for anyone hoping to interact with bison in Yellowstone National Park.
On Thursday, the agency shared a sarcastic infographic on Facebook, titled “Wildlife Petting Chart,” to urge people against touching wild animals within national parks. The image features an illustrated bison with phrases like “vacation over” and “do you have insurance” written over different parts of its body.
“Observing wildlife in their native habitat can be a fun, thrilling, and educational experience, filled with wonder and adventure,” the National Park Service wrote on Facebook. “When you follow safe wildlife watching practices, you protect the health of the wildlife – and yourself! Know the risks of getting too close to wild animals and how to avoid them.”
The infographic also included the hashtag #KeepWildlifeWild, and advised parkgoers to keep their distance from all wild animals.
"Remember to keep your distance, and enjoy your experience watching wildlife," the National Park Service said on their infographic. "No touching, no feeding, no harassing."
Just hours before sharing the image, a now-removed video emerged on the internet showing a man petting a bison in Yellowstone National Park. Before the wild animal quickly backs away, another person in the background can be heard saying, "No, no, no. Don't do it, no."
While it's unclear when the video was filmed, park officials told USA Today that the man's "illegal act" is being investigated.
The incident occurred less than two weeks after two national park-goers were injured by bison.
On July 22, a 9-year-old girl was tossed in the air by a bison that charged a crowd of nearly 50 tourists. The extent of her injuries are unknown.
Just five days later, a 17-year-old at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota was struck by a bison after walking in-between two of the animals.
The National Park Service did not immediately reply to INSIDER's request for comment.
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