The unusual reason Pierce Brosnan was investigated for entering a restricted area of ​​Yellowstone National Park

actor Pierce BrosnanThe man, who pleaded guilty Thursday, left a trail and entered a restricted thermal area during a November visit. Yellowstone National ParkThe discovery was made after the photos were posted online, according to court records.

Brosnan attended the Mammoth court hearing in Wyoming. He was fined $500 and ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution. April 1 to Yellowstone Forever, a nonprofit that supports the park, according to the documents. Prosecutors recommended a $5,000 fine and two years of probation.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie Hambrick dismissed a second misdemeanor charge of violating the closures and usage limits.

The actor had apologized on his Instagram account on Thursday, saying he “made an impulsive mistake” and called himself an environmentalist. “Great respect and love for our natural world.”

“I deeply regret my transgression and seek my sincere apologies to all for encroaching on this protected area. “Yellowstone and all of our national parks should be maintained and protected for all to enjoy,” Brosnan wrote.

He wrote that when Brosnan entered the thermal area to take photos, he did not see a “no trespassing” sign and did not walk in the immediate area. He ended the message with, “#StayOnThePath.”

The actor, 70, walked in the restricted area Mammoth Terraces, on the north side of Yellowstone, near the Wyoming-Montana border, on Nov. 1, according to the park's complaint. He was on a personal visit to the park and not working on a movie, the Wyoming U.S. Attorney's Office said.

However, according to court records, he uploaded pictures of himself standing in the snow on his Instagram page.

The Mammoth Terraces are a picturesque site of mineral-encrusted hot springs bubbling up from a mountainside. They are hundreds of unique hot spots in the park, with water at or near boiling, ranging from secreting geysers to clay pots.

Going unrestricted in these areas is dangerous; Of the millions of people who visit Yellowstone each year, some have been severely burned by ignoring signs warning them not to leave the trail.

Being caught breaking the rules can also bring legal risk, such as expensive fines, denial of park access and prison terms.

Brosnan starred in four James Bond films, starred in the 1980s TV series “Remington Steele” and starred in “Mrs. Doubt” (“Daddy Forever”) and “The Thomas Crown Affair” (“The Secret of Thomas Crown”).

(With information from AP)