In a shocking video posted on Instagram, a man was caught throwing rocks at Utah's Valley of the Gods, and people are not happy.
The account Tourons of National Parks, which calls out foolish tourists, shared the clip, labeling the rock-thrower a "touron"—a mix of tourist and moron.
This dangerous act didn't just risk hurting others; it also harms nature. Similar incidents in West Virginia's New River Gorge National Park have led to injuries. Chucking rocks messes up the environment, causing erosion and hurting animals and plants.
It's crucial for tourists to learn how to treat nature right and protect the delicate balance of our ecosystems. This incident left Instagram users fuming, showing that folks are fed up with disrespect for our natural world.
The visceral response of anger was very strong in the comments on the video.
@jessamyames/Instagram
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Folks wondered why anyone would do this sort of thing.
@windwaterearthpie/Instagram
@judy.lawrence.71216/Instagram
Some follow the Instagram account and have seen other incidents of 'Tourons,' usually trying to pet animals.
@thebelugarv/Instagram
People made other assumptions about what type of park visitor this guy would be.
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@realadventuretheory/Instagram
A vocal minority didn't see what the big deal was.
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However, the comments from those who disagreed with his actions were in the majority, and some were even quite bloodthirsty.
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People noted that sometimes nature has a way of enacting her own justice.
@rayjussel/Instagram
@jcashatt1967/Instagram
But really, people were still fuming.
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Someone said he should keep the urge to throw rocks outside of public lands.
@joshypete/Instagram
The national park system has increased the number of locations with timed-entry visitor passes, as tourism to the parks has grown enormously since the COVID peaks of the past few years.
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@sadcommunistdog; @froglok/Bluesky
