Yellowstone Tourists Keep Testing Their Luck With Bears As Ranger Shortage Continues

Now in its third week, the government shutdown has had wide-ranging effects on the U.S. national park system. On the one hand, the lack of federal funding has opened up opportunities for locals and nonprofit groups to rise to the occasion, such as the food pantry feeding unpaid workers in Grand Canyon National Park .

Unfortunately, the lack of ranger presence has also opened the parks up to more reckless behavior, including illegal BASE jumping off El Capitan in Yosemite National Park . The problematic behavior has been seen across various national parks, as two thirds of rangers are furloughed and the other third working without pay.

Now, it seems the limited enforcement is emboldening the tourists of Yellowstone National Park. With fall in full swing, the wildlife of Yellowstone is