Shocking Footage Shows Man Approaching Wild Wolves at Yellowstone National Park

NEED TO KNOW
A man approached a pack of at least five wolves at Yellowstone National Park on Oct. 6The man also sprayed a substance resembling bear spray at the creaturesThe incident was captured on video, including parkgoers giving commentary that he is a “knucklehead” and in “mortal danger”

A wildlife photographer captured footage of a man committing one of Yellowstone National Park’s biggest no-nos.

Keith Allen Kerbs was at the U.S. national park the morning of Oct. 6 to photograph wildlife when he witnessed and filmed an unidentified man who appears to approach a pack of wild wolves. Krebs later shared the footage on Instagram and noted that he thought the person in it was “very foolish.”

“He almost didn’t make it out alive,” Kerbs wrote alongside the video of the incident, in which other parkgoers can be heard yelling at the man. (The photographer noted in the post that he filmed from a “safe distance” using a zoom lens.)

Kerbs’ footage shows a pack of at least five wolves seemingly following the man as he initially backs away. He then changes his mind, instead deciding to approach the pack as onlookers discuss the dangerous situation.

A man approaches pack of wolves at Yellowstone National Park on Oct. 6.

Keith Allen Kerbs via Storyful

The man, nearly surrounded by wolves, appears to get within a few feet of one of the animals and then raises his hand. The four-legged creature reacts by jumping back — all the while, several other people in the park can be heard shouting at the man to stop what he’s doing.

“Hey! Get the hell away from them!” one person shouts from off-screen in Kerbs’ video. “This is insane,” another states, seemingly dumbfounded.

“What a knucklehead,” someone else says elsewhere in the clip, while another declares the man is in “mortal danger.”

The unidentified person eventually backs away from the pack again and then sprays a cloud of an undetermined substance, which appears to be bear spray, toward them. “He’s spraying bear spray,” a voice can be heard saying in the video. “But he’s going to run out of that really quick.”

In the clip, the man appears to escape the situation unscathed, but it didn’t stop the video of his risky behavior from making the rounds online. It went viral on Facebook after it was posted in a group titled “Yellowstone National Park: Invasion of The Idiots!” on Nov. 13, per SFGATE.

In a statement to PEOPLE, a spokesperson for the National Park Service (NPS) confirmed that the incident “was reported to National Park Rangers at Yellowstone,” and that the man “was found and cited.”

The incident is currently under investigation, the NPS spokesperson said.

A man approaches pack of wolves at Yellowstone National Park on Oct. 6.

Keith Allen Kerbs via Storyful

Though the man’s behavior went against Yellowstone’s recommendations, he was likely not in any danger.

“Wolves rarely pose a threat to people, but if they become too comfortable around humans, safety concerns can arise,”  the Yellowstone website states, noting that this is why “preventing wolves from losing their natural wariness of humans is a key goal of Yellowstone’s wolf management.”

Evan Stout, who owns and operates Yellowstone Wildlife Guide Company, echoed this sentiment in an interview with SFGATE.

The wolves in the video, Stout told the outlet, were pups born this year. “They were curious,” he said of the creatures, adding that the Oct. 6 incident “was probably their first-ever interaction with a human.”

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As of 2024, there are at least 108 wolves in Yellowstone Park, with nine recorded packs, according to the park’s website. And none of these wolves — or any wolf in Yellowstone’s history — have ever attacked a human.

If visitors should find themselves in a situation similar to the October run-in captured by Kerbs, the Yellowstone website states that a 100-yard (300-foot) “minimum distance is required to watch wolves, but park staff often manage viewing opportunities at even greater distances to maintain safety.”

In a statement to PEOPLE, a spokesperson for the NPS shared a recommendation for Yellowstone visitors.

“Wolves may look beautiful, even fluffy from a distance, and that is part of their appeal. But they are still powerful wild predators, and treating them like pets puts both visitors and the animals at risk,” said the spokesperson. “The National Park Service reminds all visitors that while our parks are open and accessible, they remain true wilderness. Wildlife are unpredictable and approaching them puts people and animals at risk. When we get too close to wildlife, they might feel threatened and act in self-defense, especially if they have young nearby.”

“It is the visitor’s responsibility to maintain a safe distance at all times,” the spokesperson continued. “Never approach, feed or disturb wildlife. If an animal moves toward you, back away and give it space. Zoom with your lens, not with your feet. Never approach or pursue an animal to take its picture: use binoculars or telephoto lenses to get a better view.”