Pierce Brosnan pleads not guilty to charges of trespassing on delicate thermal area

LOS ANGELES: Actor Pierce Brosnan has maintained he did no wrong while hiking in Yellowstone's hot springs.

In December, the actor was cited in Wyoming after allegedly entering protected thermal areas of Yellowstone National Park.

A seemingly since-deleted photo of the actor standing on a white crust that resembles some of the park's thermal attractions surfaced last month, reports People magazine.

TMZ had shared the since deleted picture.

Earlier this month, Brosnan pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, per an additional court document, accessed by People.

According to a criminal docket filed in the US District Court in Wyoming in December, the ‘James Bond’ actor received citations for travelling by foot “in all thermal areas and within Yellowstone Canyon confined to trails" and “violating closures and use limits” on November 1.

As per People, both citations are listed as petty offences. The thermal areas within the park include hot springs, geysers, mudpots, travertine terraces and fumaroles, per Yellowstone National Park’s official site.

Yellowstone visitors must respect multiple safety rules around the thermal areas. The park warns that the ground below the thermal areas “may be only a thin crust above boiling hot springs,” and there is no confirmation whether or not the area is safe. Additionally, park-goers must stay on the established walking pathways because the “pools are acidic enough to burn through boots”.