A TikTok user learned a painful lesson courtesy of the largest land mammal in North America.<\/p>\n
A video<\/a> from Ariela<\/a> (@ari.ela.k) shows her reaching out of her car window to pet a bison after feeding it.<\/p>\n One flick of the animal’s massive head later, and her elbow is suddenly in a very unnatural position.<\/p>\n The text on the video at least suggests a level of self-awareness on the uploader’s part \u2014 it could’ve been much worse.<\/p>\n Every year, dozens of people are injured by bison in national parks, sometimes seriously<\/a>. According to the National Park Service<\/a>, a fully-grown adult can weigh up to 2,000 pounds and reach speeds of up to 35 miles an hour in short bursts.<\/p>\n They get pretty ornery around mating season, which is why the parks strongly recommend keeping your distance from them \u2014 at least 23 meters<\/a>.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, as this and so many other videos show, warning signs are all too easy to ignore to the detriment of the park and its wildlife.<\/p>\n Feeding wild animals<\/a> is dangerous for both parties, as human food is unsuitable for animals, and it causes them to lose their fear of people.<\/p>\n National parks make for a great low-impact<\/a> vacation destination, and connecting with nature does wonders for your physical and mental health.<\/p>\n However, visitors have important responsibilities when visiting parks. A good maxim to share with others<\/a> is to “leave no trace<\/a>” of your visit behind.<\/p>\n Predictably, there was precious little sympathy for the TikToker in the comments.<\/p>\n “Aren’t bison known to be aggressive?” asked one response.<\/p>\n “I guarantee that wherever they’re visiting had signs saying not to reach out and touch the animals,” another commenter pointed out.<\/p>\n A slightly more empathetic commenter noted, “I’m sorry that happened, but bison are aggressive and very territorial, they should not be in drive-through petting zoos.”<\/p>\n Get TCD’s free newsletters<\/a> for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices \u2014 and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD’s exclusive Rewards Club<\/a>.<\/p>\n