On a recent trip to Grand Teton National Park I was privileged to see with my own eyes a level of stupidity that only the Darwin Awards committee could appreciate. A remarkable number of people treated the animals -- bears, elk, moose and the like -- as if they were tame, game-park creatures. The complete lack of respect for the wildness of the park's wildlife was shocking. The potential for carnage and mayhem seemed ever present. Maintaining a safe distance and quiet tones of voice while viewing wildlife appeared to be an utterly foreign concept to far too many individuals. Large scrums developed almost instantaneously roadside whenever an animal was spotted. Parents with small children ran up screaming wildly at the black bear with her cub. A black bear and her cub! No kidding. Not only does behavior like this shatter an otherwise moving experience for many, but it also places everyone in danger by potentially irritating mama bear. In addition, the cars and SUVs left idling, parked haphazardly along the road created traffic jams that rangers constantly tried to clear. (If they happened by.)
It was pure luck that no one was gored by a bison or turned into a tasty treat by a grizzly that week, and I have the impression that few people learned anything. But the animals in our National Parks are not tame. They may appear that way sometimes because they seem to tolerate the presence of humans to a degree. But ultimately they are wild. And dangerous! Respect that.
Man and beast will cross paths in the parks, that's just the way it is. However, simple things like staying in your car or keeping a safe buffer between you and the animal (and using your indoor voice!*) would go a long way to avoiding many tragic (and near tragic) encounters.
Below are a couple examples of near tragedies. (click on the links)
http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2007/06/grizzly-attacks-man-grand-teton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roMoGNHrrV8&feature=player_embedded
*A quick note about "indoor voices." When in the back country this is not the proper thing to do. If you want to avoid unexpected encounters, speak loudly and don't be afraid of making too much noise. Bears don't want to be bothered by you; if they hear you coming they will move on. If you surprise them, all bets are off!
Cheers.
