A third video has been posted on social media of the same unidentified man harassing black bears, allegedly in Yellowstone Park — but it appears that the bears might be getting fed up with the guy’s schtick.
Videos have been cropping up of a man who jumps out of his car and aggressively approaches bears, making grunting and barking sounds. In two previous videos, the bears look confused and flee. Then the man pulls off his shirt while grunting like a gorilla.
Avid bear hunter and conservationist Joe Kondelis of Cody recently told Cowboy State Daily that the videos made him livid and quipped, “A guy like that deserves to have his ass kicked by a bear.”
The bear in the latest video seemed ready to grant Kondelis’ wish.
In the latest installment, the bewildered bruin wasn’t having it, eventually chasing the man back into his vehicle.
Bravado Crumbles
In a video posted under the “Tourons of Yellowstone” Instagram account, the man follows his usual routine, aggressively approaching a black bear near the roadside, while his partner takes video from the vehicle’s passenger seat.
Only this time, the bear stands its ground as the man approaches to within what appears to be only a few yards.
It then gives him a look that seems to convey the message: “Oh, yeah? You wanna go, punk?”
The man’s bravado crumbles and he flees back toward the vehicle, as he and his partner yell, ‘Oh my God!’ and drop f-bombs.
As the man turns tail and run, the bear ambles down the slope after him, but the man appears to reach the safety of his vehicle in time.
Still Under Investigation
There was no response to a request for comment from Yellowstone Park officials Monday. Park Service spokespeople have previously told Cowboy State Daily that it isn’t certain whether the videos were actually taken inside Yellowstone.
If they were, the Park Service considers the man’s offenses to be “egregious,” and if caught he could face up to six months in jail and a $5,000 fine.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
