Yellowstone National Park tourists kidnap bison

Two tourists visiting Yellowstone National Park tried to leave with more than just a small souvenir.

The pair attempted to kidnap a baby bison that lives in the park.

See also: Explore Yellowstone, the USA's oldest national park

See also: Yellowstone National Park 'supervolcano' even bigger than thought​

The tourists claimed they put the wild animal in their car because they were worried the bison was 'cold and dying'.

So, maybe they did just have good intentions at heart, but the question still remains over why they didn't just contact park officials instead to deal with the calf.

Law enforcement rangers were called on the father-son tourists and they received a ticket as a result of their actions and the bison was released back into the park.

A photograph posted on Twitter shows the calf standing in the back of a vehicle with a seatbelt stretching around it.

On the National Parks Service website for Yellowstone it states: "Do not approach wildlife, no matter how tame or calm they appear.

"Always obey instructions from park staff on scene. You must stay at least 100 yards (91 m) away from bears and wolves and at least 25 yards (23 m) away from all other large animals - bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose, and coyotes. Do not feed any animals. It harms them and it is illegal."

Yellowstone National Park is the oldest in the USA and is home to a number of unique features and a wealth of wildlife.

There are more than 10,000 thermal features in the park including 300 geysers and almost 300 waterfalls as well.

As well as bison, there are a number of other wild species living in the park including moose, elk, bears and wolves.