Yellowstone bison taunter arrested in Glacier National Park

Sarah Dettmer | Great Falls Tribune

The man taunting a Yellowstone National Park bison in a viral video that took the internet by storm last week has been arrested.

On Aug. 2 about 10:45 p.m., Glacier National Park rangers arrested Raymond Reinke, 55, at the Many Glacier Hotel. Reinke is wanted for the incident in Yellowstone and has been on a spree of causing disturbances at national parks.

"From the park's perspective, this was absolutely egrigious behavior," Morgan Warthin, Yellowstone public affairs officer, said.

Reinke was first arrested by law enforcement on July 28 in Grand Teton National Park for drunk and disorderly conduct. He spent the night in the Teton County Jail and was released on bond.

Rangers then stopped a vehicle on July 31 in Yellowstone for a traffic violation in which Reinke was a passenger. Again, officers reported Reinke seemed to be intoxicated and argumentative. He was cited for not using a seatbelt. During this exchange, Reinke reportedly told rangers he had plans to travel to Glacier next.

The viral video of Reinke harassing a bison in the roadway is believed to have been captured after that traffic stop.

Yellowstone rangers reported receiving an onslaught of wildlife harassment reports from visitors regarding the incident.

"We're thankful to those who reached out," Warthin said. "If you see something, say something. Our eyes can't be everywhere. I think the great lesson here is that visitors who come to the national parks must be stewards. The come to these extraordinary places to witness wildlife and they must be stewards of these areas for their own safety and for the safety of the park."

Reinke was issued a citation requiring a court appearance that same evening before the park was aware of the circulating video.

"The video demonstrated the egregious behavior of that individual," Warthin said. "When law enforcement saw the video it certainly elevated the situation."

Reinke's bond was revoked per the request of the Assistant U.S. Attorney on Aug. 2 and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

While rangers were searching for Reinke's vehicle, officials responded to a call about an incident at the Many Glacier Hotel where two guests were reported to be arguing and creating a disturbance in the dining room. Responding rangers identified one of the guests as Reinke.

Reinke was transported to Helena on Thursday night and handed over to Yellowstone rangers. He was then taken to Mammoth Hot Springs and booked in the Yellowstone Jail.

“We appreciate the collaboration of our fellow rangers in Glacier and Grand Teton national parks on this arrest," Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Dan Wenk said in a statement. "Harassing wildlife is illegal in any national park.”

Reinke was scheduled to make a court appearance on Friday.