There’s no doubt that we all kind-of-sort-of love technology. Personal drones are genuinely pretty cool, that is, until someone ignores basic human decency (not to mention the law) and decides his TikTok channel supersedes the enjoyment of anyone else in the country’s most famous National Park.
On May 14th, in one of the most visited corners of Yellowstone, a crowd was peacefully watching Beryl, a well-known mother grizzly, and her two cubs near Grizzly Lake. That peaceful moment was interrupted by the buzzing of an illegally-operated drone whose pilot thought it would be a good idea to get an up-close-and-personal shot of the bears.
Idaho Falls resident Don Johnson was filming the bears when the white quadcopter drone entered the frame, noting that it flew dangerously close to the bears, hovering and maneuvering in a way that clearly disturbed the family.
“I was just filming the bears with my iPhone when this drone comes in,” Johnson told Cowboy State Daily. “People around me were madder than hell. If they’d have found the person flying it, they probably would’ve strung them up right there.”
Video captured by Johnson shows the drone getting close enough that the bears could have potentially (and should have) swatted it out of the air. While Beryl and her cubs appeared more interested in another grizzly nearby, they were visibly perturbed by the intrusive aircraft.
For the uninitiated, drone use is strictly prohibited in all U.S. National Parks, including Yellowstone, and illegally flying them can result in fines up to $5,000 and six months in jail. And yet despite repeated warnings and a number of high-profile incidents over the years, illegal drone flights continue to plague the park (and others).
As of today, Yellowstone officials said they had received no report of the incident and thus, the operator of the drone was never identified, as they were flying it from out of sight, likely around a hill or corner from the viewing area.
The video quickly spread on social media after Johnson posted it, drawing strong condemnation from park visitors and wildlife advocates who argue that such behavior puts both animals and people at risk. Some users reported seeing similar footage briefly appear on the Chinese social app RedNote before it was taken down.
Unfortunately, this is peak modern tourism stupidity. With people so addicted to getting “the shot”, they’re obviously willing to ruin the very thing they came there to see. With content calendars prioritized over the wellbeing of wildlife, the solution here isn’t more signs or strong-worded reminders. It’s doing our best to catch these clowns in the act and fining them heavily enough that the next aspiring social media Spielberg thinks twice.
“These bears are wild animals trying to survive and raise their young,” Johnson said. “They don’t need idiots stressing them out for a few seconds of video.”
Yellowstone National Park officials continue to urge visitors to report illegal drone activity immediately.
