A hiker spotted a bold tourist who got dangerously close to a moose calf, unnecessarily risking their and the animal's safety.
In the subreddit for Glacier National Park, the original poster shared a photo of a person leaning among trees to try to get close to the baby moose.
They noted they were near Swiftcurrent Lake when a kayaker decided to go over to land and pet the baby moose.
"Luckily mama was not around because the tourist most likely would have died," they wrote in a comment, adding that the person was reported to the National Park Service.
Moose may look like gentle giants, but they are actually quite dangerous, especially when their young are threatened, as the OP mentioned. More people are injured in Alaska by moose than by bear, according to the state's Department of Fish and Game, for example, and there has been an uptick in moose attacks in Colorado.
Getting too close to any animal is a risky proposition, but that doesn't seem to deter people. Tourists in parks and other wilderness areas have tried to get face time with all manner of unpredictable animals, including bison, bull elk, and grizzly bears.
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These encounters disrupt the animals' natural behaviors and not only put the humans in danger but also pose risks to the wildlife, which could be injured or, in some cases, euthanized. Earlier this year, a black bear in Glacier National Park was killed after it was determined to be "conditioned," meaning it was too reliant on humans for food or had become aggressive toward people.
Enjoying nature and wildlife is wonderful, but it's best to follow the principles of Leave No Trace, which include giving animals plenty of space, avoiding startling them, not feeding them, and reporting individuals who violate these guidelines or other park rules.
People in the comments were appalled by the kayaker's behavior and disregard for the wildlife.
"This is unacceptable behavior!!" one declared.
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Definitely 👍 "Things like this infuriate me," another added.
Someone else wrote, "These morons need to be snitched the hell out and banned from the park."
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