Rebecca Manzi Experts debunk viral videos of animals "fleeing" Yellowstone, confirming there’s no danger from the supervolcano—just normal seasonal behavior.
@fulcanellie/TikTok @rgegym9r97/TikTok
In recent days, social media has been overrun by unsettling videos that appear to show a mass migration of animals out of Yellowstone National Park. Grizzlies, bison, elk, and even mountain lions can be seen walking single file along paved roads, seemingly fleeing the park en masse. The implication? Something terrible is about to happen—perhaps an eruption of the infamous Yellowstone supervolcano.
@sliveblit Just now, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake occurred in Yellowstone National Park, triggering a volcanic eruption. Meanwhile, the animals had given a warning through their behaviors two days ago. #animals #gathering #leaving #yellowstone #utah #they #know #Strange #Magical #migration #news #breakingnews#earthquake #volcano #volcaniceruption #fyp #foryou #update #tiktok #usa_tiktok #usa
Experts: nothing strange is happening
But experts were quick to shut down the rumors. “There is no mass exodus, no abnormal behavior, and absolutely no sign of an impending geological event,” said Linda Veress, spokesperson for the National Park Service. Most of the viral footage, she explained, was either artificially generated using AI or carefully edited from old stock videos to give the illusion of urgency.
And the clips don’t hold up to scientific scrutiny. Bill Hamilton, a wildlife biologist with two decades of experience monitoring the park’s fauna, pointed out multiple red flags. Take the scene of grizzly bears strolling down a road together. “That’s just not how grizzlies behave,” he noted. These are solitary animals by nature. As for the mountain lions, “They don’t migrate, don’t live in groups, and certainly don’t line up to make an exit,” he added flatly.
@rgegym9r97 Bears Are Leaving Yellowstone… What Do They Know? #yellowstone #grizzlybear #bear #strange #creepy #news #foryou #tiktok #update #fyp #new #viral
No need to worry about the supervolcano
Veteran wildlife photographer Tom Murphy, who has spent over 50 years documenting life in Yellowstone, dismissed the apocalyptic theory with a dose of humor. “The supervolcano might erupt in two million years,” he quipped, underlining the sheer improbability of any imminent disaster.
What people are likely seeing, he explained, are routine seasonal movements. During the hotter months, animals often shift to higher elevations or new areas to escape the heat and biting insects. It’s a normal, well-documented part of the park’s ecosystem—not a desperate escape.
Geological data backs it all up
To further calm nerves, the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory currently lists the alert level as green, which means everything is normal. No tremors, no heat spikes, no shifting ground. Just Yellowstone doing what Yellowstone does.
And those now-infamous 40 bison seen walking along the road? That’s less than 1% of the total bison population in the park—hardly an exodus. Maybe they were just out for a stroll. Maybe they were looking for a new patch of grass or a less buggy spot to nap. Either way, there’s no reason to panic.
@fulcanellie Animals leaving Yellowstone #yellowstone #animalsleaving #earthquake #eruption #supervolcano #wyoming
Source: ABC News
