“It stems from negative behavior,” Yellowstone public affairs specialist Morgan Warthin told Cody Enterprise. “People are getting way too close to wildlife.”
Visitors who take the pledge also promise to stay on boardwalks in thermal areas, park in designated areas, obey speed limits, recycle, prepare for bears and avoid throwing things in the hotsprings.
Last year, a 23-year-old man slipped off a boardwalk and into a hotspring to his death. Other tourists have been charged or even gored by bison while attempting to take a picture.
Over the past two years, Yellowstone has welcomed a record number of visitors. Last year, 4.2 million people went to the park and even more are expected in 2017.