A wildlife enthusiast hailing from the Great Smoky Mountains captured an instructive video of exactly what not to do around park wildlife.
The touronsofnationalparks (@touronsofnationalparks) Instagram account shared a video from Phoebe Carnes (@phoebeswildlife) taken at the park's Oconaluftee Visitor Center.
The footage comes from the safety of the inside of a car about 100 feet away from a pair of tourists. They're just a couple of feet away from some nearby elk, who are chomping away at the grassland.
The woman extends her arm in an apparent bid to feed the nearest elk. This goes on for a while with the elk continuing to mind its own business.
Eventually, though, it lifts its head and takes a closer look. That move causes the woman to backpedal slightly. The elk has no interest in her extended arm, and the video concludes with the elk turning away and backing up slightly.
The Instagram caption included text from the Smokies' wildlife viewing policies. While this woman and others like her might know that they're breaking the law by feeding animals, they might not be aware that doing so can lead to fines or an arrest.
It can also lead to dangerous situations for visitors. While this elk didn't pay the woman much mind, others can express their discomfort more bluntly. It can also imperil the animals if they become too used to getting fed by humans.
That can lead to aggression, which can ultimately be fatal. Park rangers can be forced to euthanize wild animals that attack humans, even if they were provoked into the behavior.
Instead of acting like the tourists here, the laws of the park dictate staying at least 50 yards away from wildlife and never feeding the animals.
Commenters on Instagram were frustrated by the lack of consequences and the brazen behavior.
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Save $1,000 this year 💸 One asked: "Do these people ever actually get arrested and fined? It seems like they just threaten it, but never follow through."
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"They think it's a petting zoo," another remarked.
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