The $5,000 Fine for Flying Drones at Yellowstone

Flying drones within the vicinity of any national park, including Yellowstone, is a crime that sees offenders spend up to six months in jail, with a possible additional $5,000 fine.

According to Cowboy State Daily, the incident occurred on May 14 near Grizzly Lake, where Don Johnson was filming a family of bears with his drone.. johnson told the outlet he was in a crowd watching Beryl, a beloved mother grizzly, and her two kids as they wandered around the lake area.

Johnson filmed the trio on his iPhone,but as he did so, he also caught the drone flying so close to the bears that they could have 'swatted it out of the air.'

Angry Visitors Slam Drone Operator

The bears appeared to have spotted the device almost right away as one of them got close to it and jumped back in fear, the video showed.

By the end, the momma bear and her cubs ran from the drone just before it flew up into the sky.

Johnson said it wasn't until a ranger raised his voice that he realized what was going on in front of him .

Yellowstone's Two-Track Response

The incident has left many divided over what should happen next to prevent this from happening again .

You got some people wanting to ban the tourists, but most people didn't say much except that they hope they get caught,' Johnson told the outlet.

The Daily Mail contacted Yellowstone National Park for comment,but as of yet, no statement has been released.

What Auditors Flagged in the May Filing

Flying droes near wildlife is a crime, and offenders can face up to six months in jail, with a possible additional $5,000 fine.

The incident has raised questions about safety and recreational freedom, and whether the current laws are sufficient to prevent such incidents from happening again.