Big Wyoming Grizzly Bears Are Frightening, Not Cuddly

It's another day and another 'good grief' moment in Yellowstone National Park. This time, it's not just the tourons causing problems; it's also a professional photographer.

Photographer Kaley Beausoleil captured a video of a group of tourists trying to photograph grizzly bears in Yellowstone and posted it on Instagram. Not only does she capture the group of tourists, but as you continue to watch the video, a photographer with a huge camera walks into the picture.

Reading through the comments on the post, another photographer identified him, explaining that the man on video "just was caught up and regrets being that close."

Understandably, if you can witness the magnificent grizzly, there's a chance you'll get caught up in the situation and end up forgetting the protocol. The problem is that one unfortunate moment could cause a life-altering mistake.

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A post shared by Kaley Beausoleil (@kaleybeausoleilphotography)

While scrolling through the comments, I found one from contributor Geoff Mohan, who gave great advice on knowing when you're too close to an animal and when it's time to move back.

Pro Tip: Extend one arm out and raise your thumb. Close one eye and move the thumb to the animal in your field of vision. If the thumb doesn’t obscure the animal, you’re too close. (It’s the only “rule of thumb” that actually is a rule of thumb.)

If you're in a touristy area, set an example for others. Society is, most of the time, a follow-the-leader society. If someone sees you doing it, they feel it's ok and will do it.