(NewsNation) — Wildlife at Yellowstone National Park is not migrating from the land despite rumors swirling on social media.
“Wildlife is not leaving Yellowstone National Park in large numbers,” Linda Veress, a spokesperson for the National Park Service told ABC News. “This rumor is false.”
Videos recently popped up on various social media platforms showing herds of bison, elk, mountain lions, and grizzly bears abandoning the park in large quantities. Some even claimed the departures as a sign that Yellowstone’s supervolcano was about to erupt, which was also false.
In reality, there’s nothing abnormal about the animals’ movement, since it’s part of their seasonal migration pattern.
“They’re free to come and go,” added wildlife photographer Tom Murphy. “And there’s a migratory path for elk and bison and deer.”
According to the National Park Service, Yellowstone is home to many species of mammals, birds, and fish. It is also the only national park in North America containing no fences for the wildlife to roam free.