Why do parents do this to their children - every year?
By Awinds
@Awinds (2468)
United States
August 27, 2011 12:57am CST
I have the pleasure of living in a state that borders the famous Yellowstone National Park. Now in this park are some very beautiful geothermal wonders and of course there are wild animals like wolves and bison.
Bison are - to put it shortly - fast, powerful and nasty. They are not an animal to get close to. For those unfamiliar with bison, take a look here if you want: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNvTHOrTf_Y
In Yellowstone, there are signs plastered all over the place about not getting close to the bison. When you enter the park they give you a bright yellow pamphlet about it. Yet you hear the same story every year: a parent gets the idea that it would be cute to take a picture of their child petting or riding a buffalo. Result? Parent and/or child gets hurt or killed by a mad buffalo.
The tourists know about the danger ahead of time and yet they still try. They know this isn't a zoo with tame animals. What do you think would drive a parent to do something so dangerous to their child? Even when they know it is dangerous?
4 people like this
12 responses
@frontvisions101 (16043)
• Philippines
27 Aug 11
That's one nice ram to that dude.
Tourists should just follow the signs there and practice precaution. These animals aren't really the friendly type to say the least. You can get your bones shattered with just one solid hit of its head. Although I found it interesting since the those bisons are just standing on the street eating and walking. If I were there, I guess I'd be taking pictures too, but from a distance.
Tourists should just follow the signs there and practice precaution. These animals aren't really the friendly type to say the least. You can get your bones shattered with just one solid hit of its head. Although I found it interesting since the those bisons are just standing on the street eating and walking. If I were there, I guess I'd be taking pictures too, but from a distance.
@frontvisions101 (16043)
• Philippines
27 Aug 11
Yep, you're right. The dude there was too close that's why he got rammed.
@Awinds (2468)
• United States
27 Aug 11
All of that is very true! There is also the fact that if Mr. Buffalo gets lucky, his horn might puncture something just a bit vital. I can understand being fascinated by bison but the distant thing should be common sense! For some it is not apparently...
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
27 Aug 11
I used to say, it was because they watched too many Disney Movies. When my sons were younger, we went camping and there were some wild elk wandering around. We kept shy of them. But when we were going through Alberta, we heard of a German lady who got injured when she tried to pet a wild elk. People do not think. They do not realize that these are wild animals.
I did see movies of bison stampeding. Maybe the parents saw the wrong movie.
@celticeagle (159710)
• Boise, Idaho
27 Aug 11
A big and powerful animal like a bison is not to be trifled with. And then i suppose they killed the bison! I get so mad at idiots like this. Wild animals need to be respected and LeFT ALONE!! They are wild! Find a safe spot and watch them but don't get close. I have heard of so many animals getting killed because they did what was natural to them and the people got in their way.
@celticeagle (159710)
• Boise, Idaho
28 Aug 11
Humans are idiots. I am not always proud to be one of them.
@Awinds (2468)
• United States
28 Aug 11
I know! The animal isn't thinking "oh this is a man, I must attack him!" They just see the encroaching tourist as a source of danger and it is only natural to defend when there is danger! Then they get killed for something they can't understand. Humans - supposedly the ones with the brains - have a duty not to abuse animals like this!
1 person likes this
@picjim (3002)
• India
28 Aug 11
One can't condone what the parents are doing.They are putting the lives of their kids at great danger.And as your discussion reveals some young and innocent ones are paying with their lives for the crass negligent and careless attitude of their parents.Parents instead of steering their kids away from danger are putting the lives of their children in grave and imminent danger.They are unfit to fulfill their role as a parent.I think the parents get cheap thrill of seeing their child being photographed in the presence of a dangerous animal, little realizing that they are putting the lives of young and innocent ones at peril.
@Awinds (2468)
• United States
28 Aug 11
That is a great point. The parents are guilty with a double portion because they are putting the life of their children - who may be to young to know better - on the line. Parents are there to raise and protect children - not use them as cheap entertainment.
@yentongs (29)
•
28 Aug 11
It's all about the challenge, and the rebel in us. In every person there's always a bit of rebel deep within, its just a matter of self-control. Those type of people want to challenge things, and they think that they can overcome that certain rule. When something bad happens, they're going to sue the park. Really st*pid, if you ask me. They have been warned, yet they still do it.
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
27 Aug 11
You are assuming that these people actually Read the pamphlet! I get the feeling that they get it and then toss it in the glove compartment and do what they want to do.
@dandan07 (1906)
• China
27 Aug 11
Here we can not see many animals in wild condition. But sometimes, I will find that even in the zoo, parents are doing dangerous and stupid things. They let the child stand on the top of the guard bar of the tiger or bear mountain. Once have a time, the parent did not take enough care, so that the child fell into the mountain and killed by the tiger.
I think some parent really want the child take a good look at the animals, but their behavior is very dangerous.
@Awinds (2468)
• United States
27 Aug 11
That tiger example is even worse than my buffalo one! I can understand parents wanting their children to get a good look at the exotic animals, but you would think there would be a limit. You would think that the parent might just get a little nervous having their child within reach of the tiger's teeth or the buffalo's horns.
@mobhomeir (7558)
• Philippines
27 Aug 11
Hi awinds, not all parents are crazy enough to push their childred to danger not unless a situation could not be avoided. In this case, I think those parents who pose their children to danger have less knowledge about the consiquences it might be happend. No crazy parents in their right minds would do that. I am pretty sure you would not do that if you're one of the parents....
Nice day ahead...
@Awinds (2468)
• United States
27 Aug 11
Thankfully the overwhelming majority do obey the signs. It is just the minority that still want to try that baffles me. You would think that self preservation instinct would come into play! You can bet if I was a parent I would not try this. I think I would prefer the "whole" look for my child over the "punctured with horns" style.
@randylovesdar (4932)
• United States
27 Aug 11
I also live in a state that boarders Yellowstone National Park (I live in Idaho). I see the stories often that say that someone was killed because they got too close to the animals. I think that it is not the child's fault, but also the parente fault because the parent should be watching th child. I have seen a bison up close before but not too close. My husband and I were in the car and the biosn was crossing the street. Yellowstoneis a great place and I would love to go back again soon.
@Awinds (2468)
• United States
27 Aug 11
Yellowstone is indeed wonderful! There is nothing like cruising threw there on a free weekend. However the people that decide to get to close to the wildlife can really ruin it for everyone. Someone gets hurt and they have to make more rules which restricts even more of the park.
@Firestorm0122 (730)
• United States
27 Aug 11
At the risk of their children, it's all about control. People who do this type of stupid thing want to prove they're in control. That is why they wrestle wild beasts, challenge snakes and sharks. Unfortunately, they allow their ego to get in the way and the results are often fatal. Plus they probably think it'd be cute to get a photo of their baby with a bison. Stupid really.
The zoo itself doesn't have tamed animals. They are still wild but enclosed in locked, natural looking areas. This is why there are warning signs all over the place. Yellowstone has them too, but people choose to ignore them to pretend they are super humans.
Sadly, many have failed at being super human.
