A video recorded at Yellowstone National Park in the United States sparked a wave of criticism after showing two tourists walking over a thermal area that is completely off-limits to visitors.
The footage was taken at Grand Prismatic Spring, the park’s largest hot spring and one of the most famous in the world for its intense colors. The recording shows two young women leaving the designated boardwalks to walk directly across the geothermal ground in order to capture a closer view of the scene with their cell phones.
The scene outraged thousands of users, who recalled that the ground in that area is extremely fragile and that water capable of exceeding 70 °C flows beneath its surface, which can cause severe burns or even death if the ground collapses.
In addition to the danger to people, experts warn that this type of action can also damage a unique ecosystem made up of microorganisms responsible for the striking colors that make Grand Prismatic Spring famous.
The National Park Service maintains strict rules requiring visitors to stay on the boardwalks precisely to protect both people’s safety and the preservation of the site.
The video continues to rack up views as many users call for those responsible to be identified and punished for putting one of the planet’s most iconic natural sites at risk.
Here is the video: