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If you ever visit Yellowstone National Park, you’ll be greeted by plenty of signs concerning the many things you should not do over the course of your time there, and while the vast majority of those warnings may seem like common sense, there’s usually at least a couple of anecdotes that highlight why they’re necessary.
For example, I think most people are aware it’s a good idea to steer clear of the many wild animals that roam the 3,472 square miles that comprise Yellowstone.
However, that was not the case with a woman who decided it would be a good idea to take a selfie with a bison and was lucky to avoid befalling the fate of the people who’ve been gored after getting a bit too up close and personal with the massive beasts.
Yellowstone is also home to a number of visually stunning hot springs that live up to their name thanks to the geothermal vents that are able to heat the pools of water to close to 200°F, which (along with the park’s famous geysers) have contributed to the deaths of more than 20 people since the late 1800s.
One tourist who recently visited Yellowstone was lucky enough to avoid that fate, although they still learned why it’s a good idea to not cross the barriers designed to keep people away from the hot springs after traversing one before opting to dip their hand into the steaming body of water en route to quickly learning there’s a reason they’re called “hot springs.”
As alluded to above, that’s far from the first time someone has literally and figuratively ended up in hot water for blatantly ignoring the rules of the park; in 2020, a man was hit with a two-year ban and a $1,200 fine after attempting to use a hot spring to cook a couple of chickens he’d brought with him in a burlap sack.