FURY AS CANADIAN TOUR BUS SCARES OFF BISON JAM IN YELLOWSTONE

• Driver from British-Colombia based Bluestar Coachlines was in no mood to wait when confronted by a lengthy 'bison jam'
• His maneuver infuriated park user Rhea Circale who posted photos on the Facebook group Yellowstone National Park: Invasion of the Idiots
• But the post sparked fierce debate with many arguing the driver had right-of-way and was entitled to push through

A Canadian bus driver has been branded an 'imbecile' after driving through a herd of protected bison blocking a road in Yellowstone National Park.

Photos of the 27-ton vehicle edging the animals off the mountain road were posted to the Facebook Group YNP: Invasion of the Idiots by park user Rhea Circale after she spotted the maneuver on Sunday.

She said she would report the driver of the British Colombia-based Blue Star Coachlines for spooking the 2,000-pound animals as they meandered in front of a row of backed-up cars in America's first national park.

'We were all waiting for bison and this imbecile went on the wrong side of the road and forced the herd off the road,' she wrote.

'One of the bison jumped to get out of his way. Unfortunately I did not get the passenger vehicle that did the same thing.'

The Facebook group which has more than 300,000 members documents the foolish and dangerous behavior exhibited by some of the 4.5 million visitors to the park each year.

But the post sparked a furious debate over who has right-of-way when the animals stray onto the road.

The park's website offers no guidance and some suggested they had even seen park rangers shove their way through dawdling herds.

'Driving through buffalo (sic) is no different than driving through a herd of cattle being moved on a highway,' claimed Stacy Bragg.

'Take the path of least resistance, and they will move out of the way. This does not cause distress or harm to the buffalo or cattle.'

'When I worked in Grand Teton NP, the bear jams and buffalo jams were considered a huge public safety issue as it doesn't take much of a backup to put the entire park into gridlock especially during peak season,' wrote Bentley Hugh Fortner.

'Emergency vehicles get stuck in this same traffic. So do the rangers trying to play wack a mole with keeping the tourons from doing something stupid like putting a toddler on a bison for the perfect social media post.'

American bison once numbered in the tens of millions but Yellowstone was became the last place where they survived in the wild after the others were hunted to extinction.

There are now around 3,700 in the park, divided into two herds across its 2.2 million acres, and all descended from 23 original survivors.

'Wildlife are not domestic livestock,' environmental charity the Cloud Foundation wrote.

'Humans are required to stop and wait until they move. Interfering with any wild behavior wildlife is harassment.'

'It's too bad that so many are in a big rush to get through the park,' added Sue Yogerst.

'Perhaps this isn't a good vacation choice if you are always in a big hurry!'

Park authorities warn that bison can run three times faster than humans and have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal.

In 2019 a nine-year-old girl was tossed 10 feet into the air by a charging bison in the park while her parents scrambled to safety, and last summer a 47-year-old woman was airlifted to hospital after she was gored in the chest.

The park warns visitors to stay at least 25 yards from the beasts but the Facebook page is quickly accumulating posts about the moronic tourists it has dubbed 'tourons'.

'We're already seeing new levels of stupidity this year,' host Jen Mignard told Cowboy State Daily.

'The first true touron incident I've seen was a few days ago,' Mignard said. 'Someone was lying in the middle of the road, taking a picture of a bison as it walked up the hill toward him. 

'I bet they let him get within 20 feet, then jumped up and ran off the road.'

Coach driver Duane Wettstein defended the Canadian driver and said he was not breaking any rules.

'We (I'm a driver) are instructed to do this,' he insisted. 'To not add to the congestion.'

But local tour company operator Alvin Heggie said the rules were clear.

'We're not supposed to impede, force or otherwise influence wildlife behavior in any way, shape or form,' he explained.

'While we're in the park, we can observe wildlife, but they're supposed to have priority.

'It's their home, and we're there to visit. I don't care if there are 100 cars in front of you. Just wait.'

Dailymail.com has asked Bluestar for comment. 

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2024-04-29T21:20:29Z dg43tfdfdgfd