{"id":281097,"date":"2025-07-21T23:00:20","date_gmt":"2025-07-21T23:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/281097\/"},"modified":"2025-07-21T23:00:20","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T23:00:20","slug":"yellowstone-officials-shut-down-rumors-of-animals-leaving-due-to-possible-volcanic-eruption","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/281097\/","title":{"rendered":"Yellowstone officials shut down rumors of animals leaving due to possible volcanic eruption"},"content":{"rendered":"

Officials at Yellowstone National Park are shutting down rumors circulating on social media about wildlife leaving the park due to potential volcanic eruptions.<\/p>\n

Claims about animals leaving Yellowstone National Park in droves have appeared on platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Facebook in recent weeks. One AI-generated video<\/a> that gained traction features fake clips of wildlife such as grizzly bears, mountain lions and elk traveling in large groups with the caption “exodus in Yellowstone\u201d flashing across the screen.<\/p>\n

Social media commenters who fell for the generated video chimed in, speculating the animals were likely sensing something amiss, like a volcano preparing to erupt at the national park.<\/p>\n

These rumors are completely unfounded, however, the National Park Service (NPS) told USA TODAY, and there is no scientific evidence that wildlife can sense impending earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.<\/p>\n

\"Elk<\/p>\n

Elk bull bugling toward his cows to keep them close during rutting season in northern Yellowstone, near Gardiner, Montana and Mammoth Hot Springs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWildlife<\/a> is not leaving Yellowstone National Park in large numbers,\u201d Linda Veress, a spokesperson for the National Park Service, said in a statement to USA TODAY on July 21.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis rumor is false, and we believe the video that is circulating on social media is satirical in nature and uses AI-generated footage,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

An American Bison, also called Buffalo, grazes in the Yellowstone National Park July 9, 2020.<\/p>\n

Scientists are monitoring the volcano at Yellowstone<\/p>\n

Yellowstone is home to nearly 300 bird species<\/a>, 16 fish species, five amphibian species, six reptile species and 67 mammal species, NPS said on its website.<\/p>\n

The park is overseen by the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory<\/a>, a group of nine state and federal agencies that monitor and assess volcanic, hydrothermal, and earthquake activity in Yellowstone, the park service said on its website.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A view of the Yellowstone caldera from the Washburn Range on July 1, 2017. The caldera extends to the base of the Red Mountains in the upper right of the photo. The rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is in the foreground.<\/p>\n

Veress said in a statement on July 21 that scientists from the observatory are closely watching the Yellowstone volcan<\/a>o.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese monitors would detect sudden or strong earthquake activity, ground shifts, and volcanic gases that would indicate increasing activity,\u201d Veress said. \u201cNo such evidence exists at this time.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added that an eruption is \u201ctheoretically possible but it is very unlikely in the next thousand or even 10,000 years.\u201d<\/p>\n

When did the Yellowstone volcano last erupt?<\/p>\n

There have been three major eruptions<\/a> at Yellowstone, according to NPS.<\/p>\n

The volcano last erupted approximately 174,000 years ago, creating what is now known as the West Thumb of Yellowstone Lake, the NPS said on its website.<\/p>\n

The third and most recent massive volcanic eruption occurred 631,000 years ago, although there have been about 80 smaller eruptions since then.<\/p>\n

Park officials said the best place to get current and accurate information about the park is www.nps.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia \u2013 the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NPS: Video claiming animals are leaving Yellowstone are AI-generated<\/a><\/p>\n