Close Encounters: Tourists in the Wild

CNN Senior National Correspondent Ed Lavandera premieres an exploration into Yellowstone National Park, where tourists push precarious boundaries with the native wildlife to dangerous effect.

Lavandera ventures through America's oldest national park – 3,500 square miles with a large population of bison, grizzly bears, and wolves, plus more than 10,000 hydrothermal features, including geysers and hot springs. He witnesses firsthand how the lure of admiring wildlife up close can lead to hazardous outcomes and discovers how tourists misbehaving is a longstanding issue at Yellowstone.

"This assignment into Yellowstone National Park was an absolute rush of excitement and fascination," said Lavandera. "It reminded me of the words by the iconic environmental activist, John Muir, who wrote, ‘you will remember these fine, wild views and look back with joy to your wanderings in the blessed old Yellowstone Wonderland.' On our journey, we met fascinating people who live their lives on the edges of the wild, constantly exploring their curiosity of the natural world. It's a perfect reminder of how deeply rejuvenating and intense it feels to answer the call of the wild."

Lavandera rides along with a nature filmmaker in the park and speaks with two survivors of harrowing wildlife attacks. Wildlife experts show Lavandera how to safely observe all the magnificent wilderness the park offers as he encounters grizzly bears, a herd of bison, rocky mountain elk, bald eagles, and more.