It’s not clear why anybody would need a reminder that they should not approach an animal in the wild. But human nature being what it is, such reminders are occasionally necessary.
This was illuminated recently in a story that drew national attention. A visitor to Yellowstone National Park came across a bison calf that was wet and cold and apparently had been separated from its herd. The well-meaning visitor loaded the calf into his SUV and delivered it to park officials. To make a long story short: Attempts to reunite the calf with its herd were unsuccessful as the animal was rejected, and officials eventually euthanized it.
To summarize: When visiting a national park or a forest or any wilderness area, leave the animals alone. Consider that as the reminder for anybody who needs one. You know, just in case the many signs and pamphlets prohibiting “the feeding, touching, teasing, frightening or intentional disturbing of wildlife nesting, breeding or other activities” are not adequate.
Yet the issue has raised interesting ethical questions surrounding human interaction with, and management of, wild animals. To what extent should humans intervene, and to what extent should nature be allowed to take its course?
“The rule of thumb is that if human activity causes an animal to become injured or orphaned, we may intervene,” Yellowstone ecologist Doug Smith told National Geographic. “If not — if it’s something that happened naturally — then we don’t. Of course, as with everything, there can be exceptions and extenuating circumstances.” Marc Bekoff, professor emeritus at the University of Colorado, added: “Animals need to be free to be who they are. Death begets life in nature. I am sorry if you are born a prey species, but that’s the way it is.”
As much as any place in the United States, Yellowstone National Park provides a laboratory for studying the circle of life. The park, which covers about 3,500 square miles, contains the most abundant and diverse array of wildlife in the continental United States, and the ethos long has been to let the animals act like animals. As Todd Wilkinson wrote for the National Geographic article: “Predators only exist by preying on other species — often the weak and vulnerable — and a large array of scavengers also feed on carrion.”
And still some people are unable to grasp the fact that a full-grown bison weighs about 1,400 pounds and can outrun Usain Bolt. In keeping with modern cultural practice, many visitors to Yellowstone see fit to try and get a selfie with a bison in the frame, often antagonizing the animals and violating the park’s requirement that humans stay at least 25 yards away. Last year, five people were seriously injured by bison at Yellowstone.
That activity might increase with a surge of attention for bison. The creature was recently adopted as the official mammal of the United States, an honor that reflects its importance in the nation’s history. While there once were tens of millions of bison roaming the vast plains of the West, they were hunted to near extinction before conservation efforts took root in the early 20th century. Now, bison are thriving, with about 30,000 living in herds in North America and another 400,000 being raised as livestock.
That recovery and the encroachment of civilization into wild areas increases the opportunity for humans to see a bison up close. So, as if one is needed, here’s a reminder: If you see a bison or another wild animal, appreciate its majesty. But leave it alone.