🐾 Are animals really leaving Yellowstone in large numbers?

WELSH DESIGNS/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

• The National Park Service (NPS) has officially debunked claims of a mass animal migration:“Wildlife is not leaving Yellowstone National Park in large numbers… This rumor is false.” — NPS spokesperson Linda Veress.

• The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO), part of USGS, published a clear statement on July 28, 2025: no animals are fleeing the park—claims date back to satirical or misattributed social media posts. In reality, much of the footage was artificial or taken out of context USGS

  
  

• Speaker and wildlife photographer Grant Johnson confirmed that one viral video actually shows bison moving deeper into the park, not exiting it. He emphasized, “the wildlife are NOT leaving the Park… Nothing unusual is happening here”.

📹 What’s behind the viral videos?

• A prominent creator—Scott Whitehead (@nunchakusdragon)—posted humorous, satirical videos claiming mass "animal exoduses." Some viewers took them seriously, blending satire with pseudoscience.

  
  

• Some clips were traced to locations like a drive-through wildlife park in South Dakota, not Yellowstone. Landscapes and animal behaviors in the footage didn’t match the area, and animal appearances were inconsistent with wild Yellowstone conditions.

🗺️ Where are the animals actually going—and why?

• Most animal movement in Yellowstone occurs in winter, when elk, bison, and deer descend to lower elevations to access better food and milder conditions. In summer, animals rarely migrate unless forced by extreme events.

• This year has had a typical summer. Animals may move to higher altitudes to avoid heat and insect swarms, or to less visited areas to escape crowds—not to signal a crisis.

  ABC News

  Green Matters

  
  

🌋 Is the Yellowstone super volcano about to erupt?

• No signs of volcanic unrest: seismic activity is at background levels, ground deformation is normal, and volcanic alert status remains at “Normal” (Green).

• Experts emphasize there would be clear warning signs—earthquake swarms, uplift, gas release—none of which are occurring.

  The Times of India

  FOX Weather

  USGS

✅ Summary Table

QuestionRealityAre animals fleeing Yellowstone? No — no mass exodus; movements are normal and seasonal.Where are they going? Typical patterns—searching for cooler zones, better food, lower crowds. Is the supervolcano about to erupt? No — geology is stable; no credible indicators of impending eruption.

🔎 Final Word

• The viral buzz about animals fleeing Yellowstone began around July 10, 2025, fueled by satirical and AI-generated social media clips that quickly morphed into alarming rumors.

  
  

• No recognized experts or agencies have observed unusual wildlife migration in Yellowstone. Everything seen and tracked fits expected behavioral and environmental patterns.

  People.com

You can rest assured: Yellowstone remains wild, active, and under constant scientific monitoring.