Yellowstone National Park: Video Shows Wolf Following Tourist for 10 Minutes, Bear Spray Used To Fend It Off

A Texas man visiting Yellowstone National Park said he was "scared, but not super afraid" when a young wolf trailed him for about 10 minutes and even continued to hang around after he blasted it twice with bear spray. "He didn't threaten me at any time. But still, it's a wild animal and a predator," Ignazio Zanin of Houston, Texas, told Cowboy State Daily during a telephone interview Tuesday.

Wolf Was 'Just On That Guy'

The encounter happened Sunday in Yellowstone's Lamar Valley, which is known for wolf activity. Another park visitor, Deric Smith of Fenton, Missouri, took video of the incident through a spotting scope and said it was tense. "The wolf followed that guy for 10 to 12 minutes. He was just on that guy," Smith told Cowboy State Daily.

In the video, a black wolf with a tracking collar is seen trotting up a bench on the Lamar River Trail behind Zanin. A voice on the video is heard saying that the person is being chased by a wolf.

Yellowstone: Wolf Follows Tourist For 10 Minutes In Lamar Valley, Man Uses Bear Spray To Fend It Off

Zanin kept walking but turned several times to look at the wolf as it trotted closer through the sagebrush, coming practically within touching distance, he told Cowboy State Daily. He appeared oblivious at first, prompting onlookers on video to react with alarm, with one voice remarking that the wolf was acting "like it's his dog."

At that point, the wolf moved to Zanin's right side. Zanin calmly turned, hit the wolf with bear spray, and kept walking without breaking stride. The wolf backtracked about 20 feet behind him, prompting a voice on the video to say the spray appeared to have worked. Will the Bison That Tossed a Man Into the Air at Yellowstone National Park Be Euthanised?

'Just Too Used To People'

Zanin said he was interviewed by park rangers after the incident. They told him it was likely one of several adolescent wolves in the area, which, like curious "teenagers," have been pushing boundaries with tourists. He added that to his knowledge no action is planned against the wolf.

Zanin, who came to the U.S. from Chile, was on the first day of his first visit to Yellowstone when he decided to go for a hike in the Lamar Valley. He said the wolf started following him for no reason, and that rangers told him the Lamar Valley wolves are just too used to people. He said the animal was a good distance away at first but started to get closer. US: Bison Hurls Tourist Into Air at Yellowstone National Park (Watch Video).

Zanin said the wolf didn't growl, snarl, or show any other signs of an imminent attack, but the experience was still nerve-wracking, given he wasn't certain whether it was safe.

At two points during the encounter, Zanin said he shot short bursts of bear spray at the wolf, which backed off but wasn't completely deterred. Smith said he was impressed by how Zanin stayed completely calm and cool throughout the encounter.

Zanin said he doesn't know much about Yellowstone's wildlife, but he knew enough not to show any outward signs of fear or try to run away. He said he kept walking, knowing that panicking would not help him, and stayed calm instead. With the wolf nearby, he chose not to double back the way he came and instead made a long loop back to the highway.

He said rangers told him that, based on what they could determine about the wolf's movements, it left the area to rejoin other wolves.

Yellowstone Confirms Account, Says Bear Spray Use Was Appropriate

In an email to Cowboy State Daily, the Yellowstone public affairs office verified Zanin's account of events. The Park Service said the information shared with the visitor was correct, adding that it is not unusual for a sub-adult wolf to be curious toward people, and that the aversive use of bear spray was appropriate.

'I Just Wanted This Thing To Leave Me Alone'

Smith said he had some unexpected free time before departing Yellowstone on Sunday, so he decided to head to the Lamar Valley to see if he could spot some wolves. He said watching the Zanin encounter was more than he bargained for. When he first spotted the wolf, he thought someone had let their dog off the leash, since all he could make out in the distance was a large canine showing no fear of the people around it. Once he realised it was a wolf, he was transfixed watching its interactions with Zanin and other hikers.

He said he met and spoke with Zanin after the hiker made it back to the road. Despite his outward calm, Zanin admitted to being unnerved, telling Smith he just wanted the animal to leave him alone.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 27, 2026 07:39 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).