JACKSON HOLE, WYO – Yellowstone National Park officials are trying to get ahead the curve this season in an attempt to make sure none of the more than 4 million visitors to the park this year wind up as the latest chapter in Lee H. Whittlesey’s Death in Yellowstone: Accidents and Foolhardiness in the First National Park.
Park officials are asking visitors to adopt their “Safe Selfie” policy. After all, tourists don’t need to die for the ultimate selfie. What the policy amounts to is an information campaign with a simple verbal pledge asked of visitors to not get all cra cra in front of the park’s wildlife and natural features.
The selfie thing is really just one of 10 “pledges” that, if followed, should cut down on the shenanigans witnessed last year when baby bison were kidnapped, elk rammed photographers, and Canadian bros practiced random acts of cinéma vérité on the Prismatic Springs. Last year’s 4.2 million visitors exhibited far too many bad decisions and the safe selfie pledge may just be the first step in reining in the wrong.
