Three tourists who were filmed taking selfies and getting close to feeding brown bears in the wild have been jailed and handed fines.
The incident took place at Brooks Falls - a waterfall located within Katmai National Park - in the Summer of 2018.
The park implements rules that state humans have to stay on the viewing platform which is elevated and looks out across the water. From that area, tourists can get full viewing access to the bears.
There are also clear regulations against the wildlife or getting too close to the animals, however, prosecutors say three men - David Engelman, 56, Ronald Engelman II, 54, and Steven Thomas, 30 - ignored those rules.
Check out the clip below:Per KTOO, the incident caused outrage and prosecutors said the group walked into Brooks River. One of the men, Engelman, was caught on a livestream camera taking a selfie in front of the bears.
The men were eventually recognized by the National Park Service Investigative Services after the livestream was being broadcast live on Youtube. According to a National Park Service spokesperson, the men were also later identified via security footage from a local bar.
On Monday, all three men were fined a total of $9,000, given jail time and a year of probation. David and Ronald Engelman were sentenced to one week in prison, while Steven received a 10-day sentence.
According to News.com.au, Magistrate Judge Matthew Scoble described the three men's actions as "drunken capering and a slap in the face to those who were there".
Katmai National Park and Preserve's superintendent Mark Sturm interjected and said: "These individuals behaved carelessly and put themselves at great risk. Brown bears are fierce, territorial predators, especially when concentrated in order to feed on migrating salmon."
Lawyer S.Lane Tucker stated that the actions of the three men not only endangered other visitors and wildlife officers but also "potentially endangered the life of the bears".
Tucker also argued that if the incident resulted in death or injury, it would have an immense impact on the park's tourism and animals.
Fines would go towards the Katmai Conservancy, a non-profit that looks after the running of the park and works for the day when the park and all public lands are understood, preserved, and conserved.
In addition, each defendant is banned from entering any national park for one year.
