A video of a tourist's actions in Jasper National Park, Canada, showed why you should never play chicken with an elk.
Posted to touronsofnationalparks (@touronsofnationalparks), the video shows a man photographing an antlered elk from a very close distance. The elk shows clear signs of agitation and aggression, lowering its antlers at the man and threatening to attack.
As the video plays, an unseen spectator warns the man, saying, "Excuse me, sir, run. Go, it's not funny. Get. Someone's gonna die."
They have a good point, too. An elk's antlers could cause serious injury or worse, and this provocative behavior also risks the life of the animal, which is often euthanized in national parks if it becomes aggressive.
The National Park Service advises you stay at least 25 yards from most wildlife and more from bears and wolves, a memo the touron in this video either didn't get or chose not to follow. "Visitors are responsible for their own safety and for the safety of the animals, too," the website states. "Simply put, leave animals alone—no touching, no feeding, no harassing."
While our parks, and nature in general, are beautiful vacation places that allow us to see wildlife, among other incredible sights, the animals and environments should be treated with respect, and wildlife-human interactions should be handled responsibly.
Stay warm all winter long with the Apple of intelligent space heaters Kelvin is the Apple of space heaters, designed for energy efficiency and maximum comfort. It's completely silent and intelligently controlled, with setup taking just 5 minutes. Built from premium materials like aluminum and glass, Kelvin works beautifully as a full-home heating system or as the perfect solution for that one room that never feels warm enough. |
Recklessness like that of this tourist is stressful for both wildlife and bystanders, as evidenced by this video. Sadly, these instances have become all too common, and this type of behavior has been seen in parks everywhere, including Yellowstone and Estes Park.
"How are people so clueless?" asked one shocked viewer of the video.
"It's pretty arrogant of humans to think they can have all power over the natural instincts of animals," said another.
"He should be prosecuted for harassing wildlife," added one more.
TCD Picks » Stasher Spotlight
💡Stasher's reusable food storage options make it easy and affordable to live life with less plastic
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
