topic Safely Enjoy Wildlife in Community Chat

Safely Enjoy Wildlife

On It — Fri, 03 May 2024 12:59:20 GMT

As travel season arrives, I want to remind everyone to safely enjoy wildlife. When you see them, they should be respected. They are in what they perceive to be their home. Whether they are in the middle of the wilderness or a neighborhood, their survival instinct will prevail over human curiosity.

Our village has a campaign to protect wildlife. The slogan "Keep Wildlife Wild" appears on signage throughout the area.

Wildlife looks peaceful and calm until it is NOT. An area across from our home is a meadow among the mountains and pines that attracts wildlife to gather to enjoy natural grass in the open fields, tasty soccer field grass, fresh mown golf course goodies, and the natural spring that bubbles from beneath the ground.

I see ill-advised stunts on occasion. They make my blood boil. People can be heartless and downright stupid. I saw a man feed cookies to a horse, a father walked his pre-school son into the horse herd to pet them, and two women left their vehicle and walked close to the elk to take photos.

The photo I posted of the bull elk standing in front of our Tahoe was taken in the middle of rut season. That guy was deliberately blocking the street. He walked out as we were approaching, stopped in our lane, and stared. During rut, elk bulls are vying for cows. They are grumpy and territorial. We sat there for some time before before he decided to move. We did not want him to attack our vehicle because we sounded the horn.

@Kachina624 posted this photo which is frightening. We were discussing size, but it applies to wildlife safety.

Someone I know who works at the hospital told me a woman was brought in needing surgery. She had foolishly been feeding Cheetos to a bull elk. She ran out, the bull became agitated because he wanted more, so he attacked her. Who would hand feed this guy?

Attacks happen because people don't think. Enjoy the wildlife but respect them. They are exquisite creatures.

Re: Safely Enjoy Wildlife

cheriere — Fri, 03 May 2024 13:02:50 GMT

@On It

Wonderful post! I sincerely hope people are more respectful this upcoming season.❤️

Re: Safely Enjoy Wildlife

GinaV24 — Fri, 03 May 2024 13:13:25 GMT

thank you @On It that's a great reminder to people that wild animals ARE wild and should be respected.

some idiots in NC apparently pulled several bear cubs out of a tree!! I saw the video on the news and thought what the heck is the matter with people? Just leave them alone. They'd have had a nasty surprise if mama bear had come back beside the fact that they could have injured the cubs.

Re: Safely Enjoy Wildlife

On It — Fri, 03 May 2024 13:14:42 GMT

My apologies for the change in font size. I do not know why it happened and did not notice until it posted. I think the photos tell the story for those of us who struggle with small print. Getting the photos sized where they would load had my full attention. It is much more difficult since the most recent change in the drop down box.

Re: Safely Enjoy Wildlife

On It — Fri, 03 May 2024 13:18:55 GMT

@GinaV24 I saw that video. It made me so angry I had to look away. I hope there are some stiff penalties that can be imposed on the thoughtless group who thought yanking baby cubs out of a tree was a good idea. If mama bear had returned, they were in for a rude awakening.

Re: Safely Enjoy Wildlife

OKPrincess — Fri, 03 May 2024 13:23:47 GMT

@GinaV24 wrote:
thank you @On It that's a great reminder to people that wild animals ARE wild and should be respected.

some idiots in NC apparently pulled several bear cubs out of a tree!! I saw the video on the news and thought what the heck is the matter with people? Just leave them alone. They'd have had a nasty surprise if mama bear had come back beside the fact that they could have injured the cubs.

@GinaV24

Did they catch the people grabbing the little cubs? I am surprised mama bear wasn't close by.

Re: Safely Enjoy Wildlife

catter70 — Fri, 03 May 2024 13:24:04 GMT

I can't believe people are dumb enough to do some of the stunts they pull. Think first.

Re: Safely Enjoy Wildlife

geezerette — Fri, 03 May 2024 13:30:33 GMT

In my area the problem is whitetail deer. Not so much interacting with them, but driving slow enough through deer-prone areas to avoid hitting them. They can run out onto the road from the woods without warning. A collision with an adult deer can not only kill or maim the deer, it can cause extensive damage to a car or even a truck.

Also, fawns will be coming soon. When one or two does cross the road, please wait a few minutes until you're sure there are no babies following. The fawns often are trailing behind their mothers and quite often become casualties because people don't stop long enough for them to keep up with mom.

Re: Safely Enjoy Wildlife

PJinIA — Fri, 03 May 2024 13:36:43 GMT

It never ceases to amaze me every time I visit the national parks just how stupid people can be. Yellowstone is particularly bad and there is even an Instagram account called "Tourons of Yellowstone" highlighting some of the stupid people tricks there! The saddest consequence of their behavior is that the animal will always be the one to pay the price for their stupidity if something goes wrong! I've seen people a couple feet away from bears, bison, elk and big horn sheep...and it's often those recording themselves with a selfie stick while doing it! You can't fix stupid!

Re: Safely Enjoy Wildlife

Estellee — Fri, 03 May 2024 13:35:17 GMT

I don't know why people don't respect the animals from a safe distance. So dangerous to approach just to get that photo.

Re: Safely Enjoy Wildlife

azgal — Fri, 03 May 2024 13:35:13 GMT

Growing up our vacations were going to national and state parks. Our parents taught us to respect the animals and NEVER litter. (We were taught to never litter anywhere.)

We did the same with our children and am happy to say they love nature and respect it.

There is a website Turons of Yellowstone as in tourist morons. It shows people doing stupid things around the wildlife. Some comments say the people deserve to get hurt but so often if an animal hurts someone they kill the animal. That makes my blood boil.

I wish people would be smart and kind and just admire the animals from afar.

Re: Safely Enjoy Wildlife

riley1 — Fri, 03 May 2024 13:37:02 GMT

@On It - We have the same issue here - people just want to be "close" to the alligators.

Re: Safely Enjoy Wildlife

PJinIA — Fri, 03 May 2024 13:44:36 GMT

One example from a visit in Yellowstone last October. This bull elk was huge and these 2 photographers were WAY too close. That elk could have cleared that fence faster than he could focus his camera!

Re: Safely Enjoy Wildlife

brandiwine — Fri, 03 May 2024 13:54:10 GMT

People are too stupid. I always laugh when these idiots end up in the hospital. The worst is when an animal is put down because of these fools.

Re: Safely Enjoy Wildlife

CrazyKittyLvr2 — Fri, 03 May 2024 13:54:55 GMT

When it is wild animal vs moron I will always root for the wild animal.

Re: Safely Enjoy Wildlife

On It — Fri, 03 May 2024 14:02:53 GMT

@PJinIA That is wayyyy too close! I watched an elk walk over a 4ft. wire fence like it was not even there. He actually pushed a bit and kept walking like no obstacle was in his path. Elk hide is tough and thick. I am certain he felt nothing.

Re: Safely Enjoy Wildlife

On It — Fri, 03 May 2024 14:16:51 GMT

@riley1 wrote:
@On It - We have the same issue here - people just want to be "close" to the alligators.

That is truly stupid. People seem to have some odd idea that it won't happen to me. Sometimes, it does.

I doubt I will ever have a photo of bear to post. They are here but I do not pursue them. Those claws!

Re: Safely Enjoy Wildlife

Carolina925 — Fri, 03 May 2024 14:23:52 GMT

Thank you, @On It ! We don't have elk here, unfortunately, but I've experienced the same with our alligators. We're within 20 miles of the ocean and are surrounded by rivers. With all the new construction, developments have retention ponds. It's baffling to me to see people fishing in these ponds and people feeding the alligators. They're the first to cry to have them put down when they attack. We need more respect, for all living creatures! Public Service Announcements don't seem to help, people think they're not pertaining to them, especially if they're on vacation! Yes, this is a pet peeve so I'll stop before I get on my soap box and start boring y'all.

Re: Safely Enjoy Wildlife

Boomernichols — Fri, 03 May 2024 14:29:47 GMT

@On It GREAT POST & REMINDER! People will risk life and limb to make a video or post on a social network without any consideration for the wildlife. Often times, animals will be put down due to someones ignorance. I too saw the little cubs video and it made my blood boil. WILDLIFE is wild , people......

Re: Safely Enjoy Wildlife

Kalli — Fri, 03 May 2024 14:33:29 GMT

Some folks don't realize that simply staring at a prey animal is perceived by that animal as a predatorial act. So the exact thing tourists want to do, which is to observe the elk, moose, bison, can cause an already excited male animal, especially during the rut, to attack.

A few years ago we camped and rode our horses at Benezette, PA during the elk rut. The males were bugling for mates and there was a lot of activity going on. It was an exciting experience but we had to be careful. We saw some elk from a distance on our rides during the day. But the funny thing was that if we got up early enough we could see more of them close-up because they actually slept throughout our camp ground!