Here is among numerous factors to stay away from wild animals in national parks: They bite. In reality, any animal with a mouth can bite, so why get close enough to find out whether the one in front of you will do so or not?
A video posted to the Instagram page @touronsofnationalparks shows a group of tourists much too near to a cow elk at Rocky Mountain National Forest. It’s what takes place after the video that gets serious.
The person taking the video is Vic Schendel (@vicschendel), a wildlife professional photographer. According to the Instagram post, after the short clip of travelers crowding and cuddling the elk, the animal bit a young boy’s finger as he was attempting to feed it. Pre-owned reporting suggests the bite did some damage, too.
“And we question why animals hurt individuals in the National Parks,” the caption reads. “Just minutes after taking this video, the cow elk bit off completion of a young kids [sic] finger as he was feeding it.”
See the moments leading up to this occasion (the video does disappoint gore):
The park has actually not launched anything official about this injury. However, it’s clear this group of tourists is much too close to the elk. A minimum of a single person in the clip has his/her hand near the animal’s mouth.
The moral of the story? Wild animals do not need food handouts. If you feed a wild animal, you’re doing more damage than excellent. Likewise, you may lose part of your finger.
Among numerous reasons to stay away from wild animals in national parks? They bite. What do you believe occurs when a young boy attempts to feed this elk?