Yellowstone rangers are looking for woman who approached grizzly bear with her phone

The National Park Service has launched an investigation into a woman seen in an online video approaching a grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park.

As USA Today reports, park rangers are looking for the woman who was described as being white, mid-30’s, with brown hair and wearing black clothes. The news outlet notes that in the video, the woman appears to be disregarding the park’s rule of staying at least 100 yards away from bears.

“U.S. Park Rangers of Yellowstone National Park are investigating an incident of a woman approaching wildlife at Roaring Mountain,” the park service said in an Instagram post on Wednesday. “On May 10, 2021 at approximately 4:45 PM, an unidentified woman approached a female grizzly bear and her two cubs at the north end of the Roaring Mountain parking lot.”

Darcie Addington, another tourist who filmed the incident March 10 while in her car, told USA Today that the woman went up to the bear to get a photo, despite warnings from others. After the bear charged at her, the woman calmly walked away, according to Addington.

“It was terrifying,” Addington said.

USA Today notes that the National Park Service reports at least one bear attack in Yellowstone every year. To avoid these, the agency recommends never feeding the bears, staying at least 100 feet away and driving away if the bear approaches your vehicle.

It is unclear what penalties, if any, the woman would face if identified by the park service.

Updated 10:35 p.m.