Pierce Brosnan has pleaded not guilty to two charges over allegations he hiked into prohibited areas of Yellowstone National Park.
The 70-year-old former James Bond star is accused of wandering into two areas of the park which are closed to the public during a day out there on November 1 with the actor facing citations for walking in a thermal area and for hiking into the Mammoth Terraces - a pocket of hot springs which are described as both delicate and dangerous.
According to Cowboystatedaily.com, Brosnan entered his plea at the US District Court for Wyoming on January 4 via paper filing. He also asked for an upcoming court appearance on January 23 to be cancelled.
The outlet reports US Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick granted the actor's request to cancel the initial appearance hearing and set a virtual status conference for February 20 instead.
Park rules state visitors to Yellowstone - which is mostly in Wyoming but also branches out into Montana and Idaho - must stay on the designated pathways and trails - and they face serious consequences if they wander into restricted areas.
If found guilty of breaching the rules, visitors can be jailed for up to six months and face fines of up to $5,000 (about R95,000).
Park bosses insist the designated boardwalks and trails have been laid out to “protect you and delicate thermal formations.”
Since the 1800s, at least 20 people have died in thermal areas in Yellowstone National Park and in November 2022 the foot of a dead man from Los Angeles was found floating in one of the park’s hot springs.
Brosnan is believed to have been visiting the park while he was in the area filming a new Western movie called 'The Unholy Trinity' alongside Samuel L. Jackson.