Yellowstone Tourist Town, Jackson Hole, Releases “Selfie Control” PSA Helping Tourists Understand How Far Away They Should Be From Wild Animals

Could this be the tool that finally ends the idiotic epidemic of tourists getting too close to wildlife? Ever since social media came around, and even before then, tourists that visit national parks have pressed their luck trying to approach wildlife that roams free. Whether it be for a picture, or because they think the great outdoors is a petting zoo, these people invade the space of the animals, and as you might imagine, people often get hurt. More often than not, these attacks happen simply because tourists lacked self control, or how the Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism Board so aptly put it, "Selfie Control." That's the whole theme of Yellowstone National Park tourist town's  initiative to try and cut down on wildlife-human interactions. As they explained on their website : "We've all seen the videos on social media: someone gets too close to a bison for a selfie and the next thing you know, they are on the news with wild-animal-induced injuries. 'Getting the shot' is not worth the risk to you or the wildlife, and a little self control can go a long way in Jackson Hole." The PSA reminds people that you shouldn't get closer than 100 yards to a bear or a wolf, and that threshold goes down to 25 yards for animals that are considered less dangerous, like bison and elk. However, Jackson Hole realizes that the National Park Service has sent out that messaging for YEARS , and it still hasn't done much good... at least for the clueless people that visit. So Jackson Hole created Instagram filters that presents that same set of rules in a visual sense. Visitors can download the "Selfie Control" filter, which then puts the silhouette of a bison or bear or whatever animal up on the screen. The tool basically helps people visualize how far away they should be, and can even test out distance in real time with this rule: "If the animal is bigger than the icon, you’re too close." Simple as that... Hopefully this PSA and the safeguards that come along with it will help cut down on some of the unnecessary incidents in Jackson Hole. It's a little sad that we're having to implement Instagram filters to potentially save lives, but hey, whatever works. You can view the travel and tourism board's official PSA video below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSeCpuV-jXI&t=8s