Yellowstone tourists put bison calf in car because they thought it looked cold

'They were demanding to speak with a ranger,' said a witness

Yellowstone National Park officials have warned visitors about the dangers of getting too close to the wildlife (Karen Richardson)

Tourists visiting America’s famous Yellowstone National Park have been criticised for putting a bison into their car because they thought it looked cold.

Karen Olsen Richardson shared a photo of the incident on Facebook, explaining she witnessed the scene during a recent trip to the park in the mountainous region of Wyoming.

“The highlight of the trip,” she wrote. “Dear tourists: the bison calf is not cold and it is not lost. Put it back! (yes, the park rangers took care of the situation).”

Weston Olsen later posted: “Haha! My sister was in Yellowstone and caught some idiots doing this.”

Ms Richardson told East Idaho News how the tourists lifted the bison calf into the back of their SUV because they thought it was cold, and drove it to the ranger station.

“They were demanding to speak with a ranger,” she said. “They were seriously worried that the calf was freezing and dying.”

The parent was reportedly among a group of adults on a school field trip to the park accompanying fifth graders – children aged between 10 and 11.

Another parent, Rob Heusevelet, added: “They didn’t care. They sincerely thought they were doing a service and helping that calf by trying to save it from the cold.”

He explained the pair were told to remove the bison from the car and warned they could be in trouble for touching the animal.

They were ticketed over the incident and told to drive back to where they picked up the bison so they could release the animal, he adds.

Yellowstone National Park officials have warned visitors about the dangers of getting too close to the wildlife.

“Bison can run three times faster than humans can sprint and are unpredictable and dangerous,” they explained.

“Visitors must give the animals enough space and alter their own behaviour to avoid interacting with an animal in close proximity.”

Yellowstone National Park could not be reached for comment.