Are Animals Fleeing Yellowstone as ‘An Alert’ to a Volcanic Eruption?

Are animals fleeing Yellowstone as ‘An Alert’ to a volcanic eruption? That is a question being asked in an Epoch Times article that was published in light of the 4.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the park on Saturday. The article, published on Sunday and currently linked to the Drudge Report, states that:

A number of bloggers are posting videos that show bison and other animals allegedly leaving Yellowstone National Park, prompting theories that as earthquakes ramp up the seismic activity will set off the Yellowstone supervolcano.

The article quotes one of the bloggers as saying, “But I’ll tell you this, whatever the case may be, that their running away from Yellowstone is an alert of some sort”, and uses this video as proof of their assertion:



The only problem with this theory is that it appears to be a normal annual event. In fact, just yesterday the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks published this news release on their website:

This is the time of year bison migrate out of Yellowstone National Park in greater numbers leaving the snow and higher elevation behind them to roam adjacent lands in Montana. Right now, bison are distributed throughout the Gardiner basin, and many are foraging within the Highway 89 corridor. For this reason, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is urging caution when traveling the southern portion of Highway 89. Drivers should pay particular attention south of Yankee Jim Canyon and reduce speed during nighttime hours.

In addition to bison, elk and deer are abundant within the Highway 89 corridor and frequently cross the highway. It’s important that drivers take this risk seriously, slow down, and obey posted signs.

For perhaps some more clarity on the matter, Yellowstone Public Affairs Chief, Al Nash, recently published this video in hopes of setting the record straight on a few rumors and stories circulating with regards to earthquakes and volcanoes in the park:





Jeff
Hiking in Glacier National Park