Man in Cargo Shorts Takes Selfie with a Ton of Hungry Bears

So far, in our insatiable need to document everything we do, human beings have ruined expensive art, beautiful sunflower fields, the beach from The Beach, and even their own limbs to get the perfect 'gram. But none of those ill-fated attempts at social media fame were successful in deterring one man from getting dangerously close to hungry bears, all for a fucking selfie.

The man in question—likely someone's rogue dad, based on the cargo shorts alone—was hanging out on a "bear viewing platform" at Alaska's Katmai National Park and Preserve last week when he decided the angle he had on the majestic beasts just wasn't cutting it, the Anchorage Daily News reports. On a quest for a better shot, he crept down to the shoreline and jumped into the water—which meant walking right into the frame of a livestream, broadcasting 24/7, all summer long.

In full view of anyone who happened to be watching at home, the guy inched his way toward the animals scarfing down salmon near a waterfall, turned his back to them, and assumed that familiar posture of dads everywhere embarrassing their kids to get a pic. Then, presumably inspired by the irresistible thought of an even better selfie, he waded in further, getting closer to the ravenous beasts for what could've been the last photo he ever took.

In what one National Parks official called an "unprecedented" act of stupidity, the guy's expedition into bear-infested waters was as dumb as it was illegal, and could have disrupted the bears' food supply.

"People need to recognize that these are wild brown bears," Mark Sturm, the park's superintendent, told the Daily News. "These visitors are lucky that they escaped the situation without injury. The possible consequences for the bears and themselves could have been disastrous."

Park rangers have since gotten in touch with the dude, who was out on an expedition with two other people, and all three are now reportedly facing criminal charges for the stunt. National Park Service spokeswoman Anela Marie Ramos suggested that booze might've been at play here, telling the Daily News that while she didn't know if they had been drinking, "they were at the bar afterwards"—presumably regaling themselves with tales of their bear encounter, pounding Bud Lights, and uploading their fearless photography work to the 'gram.

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