Two tourists got within several feet of an elk in Rocky Mountain National Park, and someone else took pictures to prove it.
A Redditor posted a photo of a man and a woman outside of their camper, which they had stopped beside the road.
They were caught very close to an elk with small antlers, clearly taking photos of the animal. The original poster noted that they warned the couple but weren't sure if their warning was taken seriously.
"Please don't put yourself or the animal at risk," the OP requested.
The National Park Service makes it clear why this behavior is dangerous. For example, getting close to animals raises the risk of disease transmission if the animal is ill. Meanwhile, the animal could feel unsafe if a person gets too close, and the creature might decide to charge in defense.
Many of these animals move a lot faster than people do, so humans don't have much time to get out of the way if they get too close.
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However, getting too close to animals also puts the animal at risk. ConservationJobs noted that animals that become habituated to humans may be at higher risk of being hunted because they don't realize humans can pose a threat.
Animals that continually approach humans may have to be euthanized even if they never hurt anyone because the risk of that kind of contact is just too high.
These tourists aren't the only ones who have gotten way too close to wild animals. Some have crowded bison, and others have approached moose.
There's a clear need for more education around the actual dangers of encounters like these. If you have this knowledge, talking to your family and friends can help keep them safe and ensure they're never the subject of a Reddit post like this one.
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Definitely 👍 Other people on Reddit seemed to agree that the tourists pictured were engaging in risky behavior.
"Classic tourons," one said.
"People are not smart," another noted.
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