A short video posted to TikTok of a tourist engaging in behavior contrary to park rules and basic common sense sparked ire in the comments.
@kaylas_quests We saw a whole elk at this guy's campsite and couldn't believe what we were seeing. It seems he's used to people. This is incredibly harmful. Feeding wildlife can make them reliant on humans for food. When the human no longer has food he can become aggressive. Not to mention people could end up feeding them things they aren't supposed to eat causing malnutrition or digestive problems. Feeding can cause animals to congregate, increasing the risk of disease transmission and can also make them lose their natural fear of humans, potentially leading to dangerous interactions for animals and humans both. Food conditioning is dangerous for animals because it can lead to serious consequences like getting sick, starving, or even having to be killed if they become too aggressive. Admire from a safe distance ❤️
♬ Funny - Gold-Tiger
The video, posted by Kaylas Quests (@kaylas_quests), shows an unwise tourist brazenly approaching an elk to feed it.
"Please do not do this," the overlay reads. "Do not feed wildlife. Especially an animal more than twice your size."
As the clip's caption rightly pointed out, feeding wild animals has terrible consequences. Human food is unsuitable for animals, and feeding wildlife can cause them to lose their fear of people.
Animals conditioned to see people as vessels for grub are more likely to have dangerous encounters. Kayla invokes the park's advice to admire wildlife from a safe distance — for large herbivores, like elk and bison, that's around 50 feet.
Unfortunately, if an animal attacks a human, whether provoked or not, it will likely be euthanized to avoid further harm to others.
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In addition to being a wildlife tragedy, the removal of an animal from its local area can have a massive impact on local biodiversity, potentially throwing the ecosystem out of balance.
The conduct shown in the video is unfortunately all too common. Too many visitors seem to think the warning signs don't apply to them.
National parks make for an excellent domestic getaway, and time spent in nature is good for body and mind. However, to ensure everyone can enjoy the parks, visitors must adhere to the concept of "leave no trace."
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Definitely 👍 The video's comments shared the uploader's concern.
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"If it's bigger than you, why would you even get close?" said one viewer. "I'm nervous just watching."
The TikToker agreed, "He's a beautiful animal, but I wouldn't risk it. You don't know what he's thinking, and he could easily charge at you."
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