Judging by their immediate reaction, it appears a tourist didn't learn the right lesson after facing painful consequences while feeding a wild fox.
The TouronsOfYellowstone Instagram account (@touronsofyellowstone) shared the frustrating footage of a tourist handing over food to a wild fox at the behest of their companions.
The video opens with the tourist forking over food to the fox as they are assured that the animal will take it right out of their hand. The fox is made a bit skittish by the humans' presence but obliges on the first offering.
The second is a different story. This time, the fox bites the human's outstretched finger and gets the food.
"Oh, my finger, you dumb s***," the tourist exclaims in reaction to the fox's bite.
We can determine from their reaction that the tourist probably thinks that the fox is at fault and in violation of the idiom "Don't bite the hand that feeds you." In reality, it's the human's actions that are problematic and thoughtless.
As wildlife expert John Griff explains, feeding wild animals is detrimental to them. It can make them artificially reliant on humans and vulnerable if the feeding stops.
Another risk is that they will lose their fear of humans, which can result in more serious incidents than the one here.
Ultimately, humans aren't the only ones at risk, as aggressive wild animals may be euthanized, even if provoked by tourists.
People may be tempted to feed or interact with animals, especially smaller ones such as this fox or a baby bear. Instead, they should follow Yellowstone's safety rules, which say that tourists should never approach or feed wildlife. Let animals be wild from a safe distance.
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Definitely 👍 A close-up photo or an anecdote is not worth risking your well-being or that of an animal.
Commenters on Instagram were frustrated with the tourist's behavior.
"What is our fixation on feeding and booping wildlife?" one asked.
"Ignorance reigns," another stated.
"This isn't just dumb, it's dangerous for the fox," a commenter noted. "Once they associate people with food, it's game over."
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