A woman has been sentenced to four days in jail and slapped with a fine after a video emerged of her refusing to move away from a bear at Yellowstone National Park.
As reported by Insider, Samantha R. Dehring, who hails from Carol Stream in Illinois, willingly endangered herself and several animals at Yellowstone Park during the incident on May 10.
Dehring was recorded at the Roaring Mountain section of the park, and could be seen attempting to get up close to a grizzly bear and her three cubs, in order to snap a quick picture on her cell phone.
The 25-year-old later pleaded guilty to "willfully remaining, approaching, and photographing wildlife within 100 yards."
The footage, which can be seen above, was shared with Yellowstone Park Rangers, who later provided the results of their investigation to US Rangers in the area where Dehring lives.
Per Insider, acting US attorney for the District of Wyoming Bob Murray said on Thursday: "Approaching a sow grizzly with cubs is absolutely foolish. Here, pure luck is why Dehring is a criminal defendant and not a mauled tourist."
Dehring was sentenced to four days in jail.
"Wildlife in Yellowstone National Park are, indeed, wild," Murray added. "The park is not a zoo where animals can be viewed within the safety of a fenced enclosure. They roam freely in their natural habitat and when threatened will react accordingly."
As decided by US Magistrate Judge Mark L. Carman, Dehring has also been banned from Yellowstone for a year and served a $1,000 fine and a $1,000 community service payment to Yellowstone Forever Wildlife Protection Fund.
The count for "feeding, touching, teasing, frightening, or intentionally disturbing wildlife" was dismissed.
The Daily Herald reports that eight people have been killed by grizzlies since 2010. A Montana fisherman by the name of Charles "Carl" Mock was killed back in April.
