An Idaho man was banned from setting foot within Yellowstone National Park for the next two years after he was caught attempting to cook chickens in a hot spring.
Man Banned From Yellowstone National Park After Rangers Catch Him Cooking Chickens in the Hot Springs https://t.co/b0tHDXOVYE
— Travel + Leisure (@TravelLeisure) November 6, 2020
Park rangers were tipped off on Aug. 7 about a group of three people making their way toward Shoshone Geyser Basin with cooking pots, a park spokeswoman told EastIdahoNews.com on Friday. When they arrived at the scene, officials found two whole chickens inside a burlap sack floating in a hot spring.
The man was cited for the incident and his two companions received tickets for walking in the thermal area. He pleaded guilty in Mammoth Hot Spring Court back in September.
He was also charged for violating closures and use limits, and was handed a $600 fine, two years of unsupervised probation in addition to a two-year ban from the park.
“Yellowstone’s scenic wonders are sure to take your breath away: Don’t let them take your life,” read safety guidelines posted on the park website.
“From boiling hot springs to thousands of wild animals, some of the hazards in Yellowstone will be new to you. Protect yourself and the sights you plan to enjoy by following a few simple rules.”
The park website additionally states that hot springs have “injured or killed more people in Yellowstone than any other natural feature.”
Officials recommend visitors “stay on boardwalks and trails in thermal areas.”
———
©2020 New York Daily News
Visit New York Daily News at www.nydailynews.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.