Speculation and Fear Swirl as Animals Are Spotted Fleeing Yellowstone in Droves

Yellowstone National Park is home to a wide range of animal life. According to the National Park Service (NPS), almost 300 types of birds, 16 fish species, and 67 different kinds of mammals roam around the park. And while many people travel to Yellowstone in the hopes of seeing one of these many creatures in their natural habitat, some are appear to be high tailing it out of the park.

Videos of animals leaving the park have gone viral, prompting people to worry about what could be driving them away. Some people are even claiming that this is a sign that Yellowstone's supervolcano is about to erupt. Why are the animals leaving Yellowstone? You can find out what the experts say is actually happening, below.

Footage captured in the park appears to show animals leaving the park in droves. The videos, which have gone viral on social media, show a number of bison and elk in what appears to be a desperate attempt to exist the park.

Even grizzly bears have gotten in on the action, and they've been spotted making their way out.

According to Yahoo, this has prompted many to speculate the massive volcano under Yellowstone is about to become active for the first time in thousands of years, ahead of what would be a catastrophic eruption. However, the experts aren't sold on that theory, and instead are telling those who are worried what it really means.

Apparently, there's nothing unusual about the animals that have been seen leaving the park, since it's part of their seasonal migration pattern.

Yahoo says that the animals are likely moving towards the lower elevations where they will have better access to natural food sources, as well as milder weather, as the temperatures begin to turn cooler.

Additionally, increased human activity could be pushing the animals to seek other places to hang out, since summer is a popular time for tourists to come through the park.

If that's not enough to soothe your concerns, consider this: Yellowstone officials track wildlife movements using extensive monitoring systems. Any unusual behavior would be detected and investigated, neither of which is happening, meaning that what people are seeing online isn't actually a massive evacuation, but instead a typical pattern of movement.

A video shared on Facebook claims to show a small population of mountain lions fleeing the park. According to Scott Whitehead, the park's population of between 34 to 42 mountain lions have begun migrating south to Utah.

The Yellowstone Forever Cougar Project notes that these wild cats are rarely seen in the park, which makes a video of them especially rare. However, the project makes no mention of the big cats leaving the park in unusual patterns.

Instead, it's more likely that the mountain lions were moving to follow food sources, or to get away from some of the park's two-legged visitors, who may disrupt the animal's natural habitat and patterns simply by being nearby.