Everyone with social media has seen video of "tourons" trying to pet a bison or an elk or moose, and endangering themselves for a selfie. Apparently one of the big things that's trending is to put a padlock on fencing at a national or state park site to show how much someone loves their boyfriend or girlfriend. This may have come from Europe: officials removed about 100 tons of locks from the Pont des Arts (bridge) in 2015. I thought the younger generation was less wasteful and more conscientious about things like this. Also, it is a bad idea to leave coins and other shiny objects (like keys from padlocks) where wildlife can access them. Wildlife officers have to occasionally bring a big bird like a condor in for surgery to remove coins from its digestive tract, because otherwise, they won't come out. No word on whether the surgeon or the wildlife officer gets to keep the coins. There aren't that many condors left in the world . . . Grand Canyon Asks Visitors to Stop Using 'Love Locks' in Order to Protect Wildlife
When my oldest son was a toddler he swallowed a quarter. The doctor told us to check his stool real good for a couple of days to make sure he passed it. My wife was busy one day and he had to go poop. She asked if I would take him and not to forget to check for the quarter....He did pass the quarter but I quickly washed it off and put it in my pocket. Then I gave my son 2 dimes and a nickel and asked him if he could say "mommy, daddy said to give this to you".
You are exactly right. What a terrible way to commemorate your relationship. Express your love some other way
This sounds like something guys are cynically using as an angle to get chicks in the sack. That's the motivation behind the behavior of most so-called men in any left wing political movement. Beating your tambourine and offering up prayers to the peasants loses its charm fast when you have a functioning nutsack between your legs.
Another victory for the tourists, this time over a newborn wild horse. It had the misfortune to be born near the top of a cliff in Wales. As the tourists came closer and closer to take pictures, the horse backed away from them and eventually fell off the cliff to its death. Yes, people are THAT stupid. Selfie-taking tourists cause newborn wild pony to fall off cliff to its death: ‘The countryside is not a theme park’ (yahoo.com)
The NPS had to close a portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway near Waynesville recently because too many nature lovers were trying to pet the bears.
Let me be clear I’m all for natural selection. Let the bears eat the morons. Let the moose stomp them to death. Let the bison fire them. Let them fall off the cliff,bridge, water tower. The self centered look at me I’m so special society of selfie taking idiots needs to end.
How did you know I had a video of myself probably around 1957 trying to pet the bears. I can't believe my mom and dad let me get out of the car and walk up to the bear.
Normally, I would approve a culling of the human herd in such a manner (Timothy Treadwell) but the NPS will be obligated to kill the bear in return. Hate that.
If a bear wanders into a camp or cabin and you injures or kills someone.. I understand. If a stupid tourist offers themselves up as a snack.. that’s not on the bear ( I know NPS has no option or leeway there.. and I hate that. We have several big black bears on our place and for the most part that give the homestead a wide berth. Love seeing them in the woods.
While we're on the subject one of my not too bright decisions was to pull over to take a picture of a bear when I was driving on the Alaska Highway with my son in the Yukon back in 2000. We didn't get too close and I had enough sense to stay in the car although even that was rather dumb in retrospect. Never did get a picture of the bear although I took this photo as we entered the Yukon.
A decade ago, my son and his wife spent a week backpacking through Denali. They saw a bear or two in the distance but always made sure it stayed that way. A week after they left, a hiker was killed by a bear he photographing. The park recommends staying a quarter mile away. His camera indicated he was about 50 yards.
This a photo of my son taken when we were hiking in Denali in 2003. About 20 minutes after we left the area a female grizzly and her two cubs passed through the area. I still get the shakes when I think about it. We were in the Eielson Visitors Center when the bears passed through and saw them from a distance. I would add that as soon as the bears were spotted the rangers made sure that any tourist in the area was in the center.
I couldn't tell you the number of brown and black bears we have hiked around and/or photographed over the years. Don't get between mom and the cubs, don't startle them, don't feed them, don't get near their kill if they have one. they generally want nothing to do with humans unless they have been conditioned to see them as a food source
You're not wrong. To be fair, that's ultimately the motivation behind 99% of the behavior exhibited by men of all stripes.
Our travel group went to Jackson Hole two years ago in the early spring. There was a mother brown bear and 2 cubs who had just come out of hibernation. We were in a big van (there were 12 of us) and we came upon them. They had just crossed the road and the two cubs went down a small hill. They started playfully fighting with each other. The van pulled over to stop but the mother bear came and laid down on the road behind the van. The driver wouldn't let anyone out of the van. we watched them for about 30 minutes before they wandered on. They said this was when the mother would let the cubs go out on their own. It was pretty fascinating.
Not necessarily an idiot tourist story, but more of a public service announcement: stay away from Alexander Springs Recreation Area. People are swimming and snorkeling there and do not seem to know that Alexander is the name of the 9'-long gator that lives there, and he will defend his territory. Two people have had unfavorable interactions with the gator, who goes by the nickname "Al" with the middle initial "E". 9-foot alligator bit Florida woman's face while she was snorkeling: 'I saw her head in its mouth,' friend says (yahoo.com)
No, definitely not an idiot tourist story... National Forests in Florida - Alexander Springs Recreation Area Go GATORS! ,WESGATORS
