People on vacation trying to take selfies are the ultimate in stupidity.
When I was driving across country I stopped to takes some pictures of wild bison grazing in the prairie - me and a dozen or so other people. I couldn’t really remember the number of yards I was supposed to stay away from them but I wasn’t planning on running any tests on that theory in any case. My plan was this: stay behind the other people taking pictures of the wild beasts. This way, if they know how far away they should be then I’m definitely safe. On the other hand, if they don’t know how far away they should be, I’d get some crazy-ass footage for sure.
You don’t have to outrun the bison, you just have to outrun the other people.
That, and as has been expressed elsewhere, make sure that you’re a faster runner than at least one of those people.
ETA: Ninja’ed by @Joey_P !
Said bison. I’m pretty sure this is max zoom on my phone.
Wow, beautiful shot.
I’ve been closer than that to bison, but not because I closed the distance with them. In Yellowstone and the surrounding area, sometimes you have to stop because they’re crossing the road. And sometimes while you’re so stopped, some of them decide to wander up right next to your vehicle. Not much you can do about it-- just get your photos while you can, and make sure NOT to reach out the window to pet them.
I’ve been a lot closer than that to bison.
But they were bison being raised on a farm, accustomed to humans in close proximity; and we were on a tour under the direct supervision of the farmer. Who took us out into the pasture in the open back of his pickup truck, with strict instructions for us to keep all body parts INSIDE the truck. Look but do NOT try to touch!
We were all other farmers, who he could count on to follow instructions around somebody else’s livestock.
The herd came fairly close to the truck, realized there was no feed inside it, and went back to grazing. They ignored us entirely – which domestic cattle wouldn’t have done; they would have either moved away from strangers or come up to us wanting attention. The bison weren’t interested in human strangers at all.
Yep. I drove through Yellowstone in the wake of a blizzard a few years back, and a whole line of vehicles were stuck for a while when we encountered a herd that was also using the road. All we could do was stop and wait; I took a short video as they passed by. No one tried to interact with them–though that might have had as much to do with sticking to heater vents as common sense.
And sometimes you’re on a motorcycle. I’ve done that.
Nuts. It cropped up the other day and I didn’t check the date.
In my defense, stupid doesn’t expire.
Had a mama grizzly and two cubs pass wayyyy to close for my comfort while I was on a motorcycle in BC.
It’s stinky even when it’s fresh. 
I’ve mentioned this before, but back in the '70s, on a remote beach on Catalina Island, I woke up super early one morning and hiked up onto a plateau. Up into a thick morning fog.
I reached the top and was walking very slowly, because if I was about to walk into a tree, I’d never see it. I heard some chuffing sounds, and some slightly darker bits of fog started moving.
I was smack in the middle of a herd of bison. Probably thirty or so. As they meandered, I tried to slip between them without touching them, and made my way back to the edge of the dropoff I’d climbed up.
In retrospect, they must have been used to humans, because they seemed curious but not dangerous.
You bison-approachable guys are like Topper from Dilbert.
It would be moose for me. They wander our yard eating grass and willow bushes. I’m very cautious and make sure of an escape route, but hey, I have to get to my car.
This is well handled.
Big baby moose not afraid of anything!
Pennsylvania has an elk herd (coincidentally in Elk County). A group of us rented a house for a weekend to see the elk. It was cool.
While George drove us around one morning. Gil wanted to get pictures of an elk cow and her calf. There are warnings all around about the dangers of getting too close. Gil got too close.
When the cow began trotting toward Gil, he ran to the car. George was worried about his car, so he began driving away slowly. I wish one of us got video of Gil running in fear from the cow.
Oh the stories I could tell you…
Long time hotel worker of many years.