New Instagram filter tells you when you’re too close to wildlife
Jackson Hole’s tourism board created the tool to reduce conflict between visitors and its Wyoming animals.


(Washington Post Illustration; iStock)

By Andrea Sachs
August 22, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. EDT

To protect animals and people on public land, the National Park Service advises visitors to stay at least 25 or 100 yards away from the wildlife, depending on the species. The distance can be difficult to measure, especially if you are behind a camera. A new Instagram filter created by the Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism Board in Wyoming removes the guesswork and helps ensure a safe encounter between photographer and subject.

Shortly before the busy summer season, the Western destination’s tourism office released a filter called Selfie Control, which is available free on Instagram. The tool features five animals — bison, bear, elk, moose and two types of bears (black and grizzly) — that reside in Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks and surrounding wilderness areas. To use the feature, click on the name of the animal, and an icon appears in the frame, plus the recommended distance: 25 yards for moose, elk and bison and 100 yards for bears. Once you set up your shot, the image of the real animal should be the same size as the symbol. If it’s too big, you’re too close.

“We are not discouraging people from going to see these animals, but we are trying to give them the tools to do it more responsibly and in a way that adheres to the guidelines in these wild places,” said Crista Valentino, the tourism board’s executive director.

Conflicts between humans and wildlife are a growing concern among conservationists and public land stewards. The number of park visitors and outdoor recreationists has been on the rise over the past few years. More than 4.5 million people visited Yellowstone last year, for instance, the second-most on record after the 4.86 million visitors of 2021. But not everyone is following the guidelines. On social media, you can gawp at people snapping selfies inches from burly bison, taunting black bears and mobbing elk. Multiple “touron” accounts on Instagram document such behavior.

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By Andrea Sachs
Andrea Sachs has written for Travel since 2000. She has reported from nearby places such as Ellicott City, Md., and the Jersey Shore, and from far-flung locations, including Burma, Namibia and Russia. Twitter