Wildlife Idiots

[Cheesy FL-Vol]

Any bets that this was a stupid attempt for a wildlife selfie?

A bison was walking near a boardwalk at Black Sand Basin, just north of the Old Faithful geyser, when a tourist approached it, coming within 10 feet. The wild animal then gored the woman and tossed her 10 feet into the air, according to a press release from the National Park Service.

Park regulations require visitors to stay more than 25 yards away from bison, which have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal, according to the National Park Service.

www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/bison-gores-tosses-25-year-old-woman-at-yellowstone/ar-AAXX93g?ocid=&cvid=d1e5868b6af14e41b8b2088df5aff44e

[Tennesseer]

The woman probably thought the distance regulation was meant for the bison to read and follow and not for humans.

[chiver78]

I'd call that a Darwin Award winner. nicely done, ma'am! 

[moon/Laura]

The Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge is near me. There are bison there, and while some areas are fenced to where people can't get to them, there are other areas on the wildlife drive where they may be very close - even within a few feet if they happen to be crossing the road. I've not heard of any attacks there, but people do the same stupid shit.

Yesterday, I happened to see a mama and her newborn calf on the other side of a fence. If I'd been there 5 minutes or so earlier, I could have probably taken pictures of the birth.

[skeeter]

This lady made a mistake and died because of it. Personally, I don't think this is something to joke/laugh about.

[moon/Laura]

The linked article doesn't say she died though? It says

The unnamed woman, who was visiting from Grove City, Ohio, sustained a puncture wound among other injuries, the agency said. She was transported via ambulance to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls.

I'm not making fun but I really have to wonder wtf she thought would happen!

[skeeter]

Jun 1, 2022 9:49:22 GMT -5 moon/Laura said:

The linked article doesn't say she died though? It says

The unnamed woman, who was visiting from Grove City, Ohio, sustained a puncture wound among other injuries, the agency said. She was transported via ambulance to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls.

I'm not making fun but I really have to wonder wtf she thought would happen!

I don't know how to post links, but I read an update from USA Today that she died at the hospital from her injuries.

I thought your post was good at explaining how things like this could happen and loved your picture.  I was NOT referring to you about joking/laughing at what happened.  Sorry if I gave that impression

[moon/Laura]

Oh, no. Didn't take it that way at all.

It's sad she died. But again, who in their right mind approaches something that size - be it a bison, elk, bear, whatever - in the first place? Let alone in the spring when there are babies to be defended, or in the fall during mating season? Definitely not saying she deserved it but I just don't understand.

[Cheesy FL-Vol]

The article on MSN still doesn't indicate the woman has died. A search does show other articles say that she died. That doesn't change the fact that what she did was incredibly stupid.

[Cheesy FL-Vol]

Jun 1, 2022 10:01:11 GMT -5 moon/Laura said:

Oh, no. Didn't take it that way at all.

It's sad she died. But again, who in their right mind approaches something that size - be it a bison, elk, bear, whatever - in the first place? Let alone in the spring when there are babies to be defended, or in the fall during mating season? Definitely not saying she deserved it but I just don't understand.

I have watched North Woods Law and seen episodes with moose near the road where the wildlife officers are trying to get the moose away from the road and into the woods. You can see bystanders all over the road getting as close to the moose as possible to take pictures. These people are stupid, and I actually can't believe LEOs don't make a better effort to get people away from the incident.

[pulmonarymd]

I saw a mother bear crossing the street followed by 4 bear cubs in my neighborhood. I have had a bear walk through my yard on numerous occasions, and have seen bears on my morning walk with my dog. There are warnings everywhere to give bears, especially mothers this time of year, a wide berth. It is unfortunate that the women died, but she was an idiot, and pointing that out is not offensive. It may help save someone's life.

[jerseygirl]

We were on sailing trip in the British Virgin Islands, on a dingy going to an island.
There was a whale about 200’ away. Another dingy pulled up about 10’ from the huge whale, Nothing happened but whales have been known to sink 50’ boats
Stupid people think they’re in a National Geographic film

[moon/Laura]

I (to an extent) blame cell phone cameras. Now everyone can take photos, but depending on the subject, they're not going to be that great unless you're close. So people stop thinking and just go for it. I like close ups too, but that's why I bought a 'real' camera and have several long lenses. I still end up cropping but I'd rather do that than risk my life. Getting too close stresses the animal and that causes unpredictability.

[skeeter]

Jun 1, 2022 10:05:41 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

I saw a mother bear crossing the street followed by 4 bear cubs in my neighborhood. I have had a bear walk through my yard on numerous occasions, and have seen bears on my morning walk with my dog. There are warnings everywhere to give bears, especially mothers this time of year, a wide berth. It is unfortunate that the women died, but she was an idiot, and pointing that out is not offensive. It may help save someone's life.

You are correct.  Was this lady an idiot?  Probably.  Did she make a stupid mistake? YES!  Will pointing it out help save other lives?  I hope so!

BUT, I stand by my original post.  Laughing and making jokes about what happened is crossing the line.

[tallguy]

GF and I were in Yellowstone three years ago.  At one point there was a fairly large herd in a field near a parking lot.  Many cars were in the lot, with people standing outside their vehicles watching and taking pictures.  The herd began to move, into and through the lot, within feet of all those people, including us.  Quite a number of people tried to get closer, approaching within a few feet of the bison.  I made sure to stand very still.  They are impressive animals, and there was no way I was going to assume they had been "tamed" by seeing crowds of people.  And yes, I did think the people trying to get within a few feet were being unbelievably stupid. 

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Jun 1, 2022 10:08:59 GMT -5 jerseygirl said:

We were on sailing trip in the British Virgin Islands, on a dingy going to an island.
There was a whale about 200’ away. Another dingy pulled up about 10’ from the huge whale, Nothing happened but whales have been known to sink 50’ boats
Stupid people think they’re in a National Geographic film

These people haven't watched National Geographic very often then. Mother Nature be brutal!
I think it has to do with us removing ourselves more and more from nature while simultaneously moving our homes deeper into it.

People regularly ask shop owners in Estes what time rangers let the elk out. They think it's like a zoo or these are like pets the area shows off. No concept of what wild means.

And it's the animals that suffer for it.

He'll most people Don grasp basic dog manners anymore and we domesticated them millenia ago. Not shocking they have no clue what to do in front of a bison.

[moon/Laura]

Jun 1, 2022 10:57:49 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

Jun 1, 2022 10:08:59 GMT -5 jerseygirl said:

We were on sailing trip in the British Virgin Islands, on a dingy going to an island.
There was a whale about 200’ away. Another dingy pulled up about 10’ from the huge whale, Nothing happened but whales have been known to sink 50’ boats
Stupid people think they’re in a National Geographic film

These people haven't watched National Geographic very often then. Mother Nature be brutal!
I think it has to do with us removing ourselves more and more from nature while simultaneously moving our homes deeper into it.

People regularly ask shop owners in Estes what time rangers let the elk out. They think it's like a zoo or these are like pets the area shows off. No concept of what wild means.

And it's the animals that suffer for it.

He'll most people Don grasp basic dog manners anymore and we domesticated them millenia ago. Not shocking they have no clue what to do in front of a bison.

Right? I don't have dogs, but I encounter them most every day I'm out with my camera. Paying attention to body language is so important. I had one woman actually thank me for letting her dog sniff first and decide s/he he was ok with me petting it. She told me most just reach for it. That's a good way to get bitten, IMO.

That anyone expects a civilized reaction from a wild animal is beyond me. And 'wild' animals that have been habituated to us - either by sheer proximity or people feeding them when they shouldn't - are still just as dangerous.

[Cheesy FL-Vol]

We lived on a small lake when we were in FL. There were a few gators living in the lake. People across the way regularly let their kids play in the lake. At one point wildlife control had to pull a 12 footer out of the lake. I don't know if it was euthanized or relocated.

[busymom]

People are dumb when it comes to ocean currents, too.  There are drownings every year because people don't respect nature, and don't think anything bad could ever happen to them.  But it REALLY makes me mad when parents let their kids swim on days when warnings are out.  You don't want the last memory of your child watching the current pull them out, and under.  

[weltschmerz]

Jun 1, 2022 10:05:01 GMT -5 Cheesy FL-Vol said:

Jun 1, 2022 10:01:11 GMT -5 moon/Laura said:

Oh, no. Didn't take it that way at all.

It's sad she died. But again, who in their right mind approaches something that size - be it a bison, elk, bear, whatever - in the first place? Let alone in the spring when there are babies to be defended, or in the fall during mating season? Definitely not saying she deserved it but I just don't understand.

I have watched North Woods Law and seen episodes with moose near the road where the wildlife officers are trying to get the moose away from the road and into the woods. You can see bystanders all over the road getting as close to the moose as possible to take pictures. These people are stupid, and I actually can't believe LEOs don't make a better effort to get people away from the incident.

I was driving home from the cottage, and there was a traffic jam on a two lane road.  There was a massive moose standing in the middle of the road, thinking moose thoughts.   People honking at him didn't faze him in the least.
One genius decided to get out of his car and PUSH him off the road. Big mistake. Huge.  The moose impaled him on his massive antlers and threw him into the woods, then went back to contemplating life from a moose's point of view.
He left after about 45 minutes, as he was done thinking.

[mollyc]

A few years ago a Mountie stationed here decided to chase off a young male moose in a residential area by honking his horn. The moose shit kicked and stomped the hell out of the cruiser. The Mountie ended up with flying glass injuries.

You can be minding your own business and have problems with wildlife around here. To get in their business is just looking for trouble

[weltschmerz]

Jun 1, 2022 14:48:39 GMT -5 mollyc said:

A few years ago a Mountie stationed here decided to chase off a young male moose in a residential area by honking his horn. The moose shit kicked and stomped the hell out of the cruiser. The Mountie ended up with flying glass injuries.

You can be minding your own business and have problems with wildlife around here. To get in their business is just looking for trouble

You can be minding your own business and have problems with Mounties around there. 
Next thing you know, you're being shot at or relocated.

[Tennesseer]

Jun 1, 2022 10:01:59 GMT -5 Cheesy FL-Vol said:

The article on MSN still doesn't indicate the woman has died. A search does show other articles say that she died. That doesn't change the fact that what she did was incredibly stupid.

Did the woman die or not? I am confused with the correction at the bottom of this linked article:

CORRECTION (June 1, 2022, 12:07 p.m. ET) A previous version of this article misstated the severity of the woman’s injuries. She was gored by a bison and suffered puncture wounds. She was not killed.

Bison gores Yellowstone visitor, tosses her 10 feet, park officials say

[moon/Laura]

What I'm seeing now says she did NOT die.

[Tennesseer]

Jun 1, 2022 15:59:22 GMT -5 moon/Laura said:

What I'm seeing now says she did NOT die.

That's what I thought based upon the 'Correction'. Thanks.

[happyhoix]

In Gaitlinburg TN, in the Smokies, I was at a convention where there was an alcohol fueled meet and greet one evening. I noticed people going out the side door into the parking lot - they were going out to watch a mama black bear and her cubs dumpster diving. Drunken idiots were within maybe ten feet of the dumpster, ogling.

Never get near a bear, but especially never a mama bear with cubs. Not too long ago a woman was killed on one of the park hiking trails by a black bear.

[grumpyhermit]

I'm sorry the woman got hurt, but all I think about when I read stories like this, are the other stories. Like the one where idiots on a beach took selfies with a beached dolphin and it died. 

So many people have no respect for nature, or compassion for other living things. I would hope that before you venture into a national park you would do the bare minimum. Plus, I'm sure these parks have warnings about not getting too close to the WILD animals. Play stupid games...

[chiver78]

Jun 1, 2022 18:59:53 GMT -5 grumpyhermit said:

I'm sorry the woman got hurt, but all I think about when I read stories like this, are the other stories. Like the one where idiots on a beach took selfies with a beached dolphin and it died. 

So many people have no respect for nature, or compassion for other living things. I would hope that before you venture into a national park you would do the bare minimum. Plus, I'm sure these parks have warnings about not getting too close to the WILD animals. Play stupid games...

all of this!

[Deleted]

Jun 1, 2022 18:38:49 GMT -5 happyhoix said:

In Gaitlinburg TN, in the Smokies, I was at a convention where there was an alcohol fueled meet and greet one evening. I noticed people going out the side door into the parking lot - they were going out to watch a mama black bear and her cubs dumpster diving. Drunken idiots were within maybe ten feet of the dumpster, ogling.

Never get near a bear, but especially never a mama bear with cubs. Not too long ago a woman was killed on one of the park hiking trails by a black bear.

When we visited the Smoky mountains, we rented a place up in the mountains. We were warned upon arrival to not leave food in our vehicles because the bears have learned how to open car doors. Say what now?! 

Sure enough, one of our neighbors had a bear get in their minivan and scatter their dirty laundry everywhere. I joked to Mister that their clothes must have been musty, smelling like onions.

I only had to be warned once about the bears. I saw a couple of them wandering around on the grounds. And they had the nerve to have a playground for children. Under no circumstances were we going to that playground lol. I did NOT go to the mountains to have to try to fight a bear. I did enjoy seeing them…. From the safety of our second floor balcony. No need to see them any closer than that. My head was on swivel every time we were going to the car and getting out of the car.

I also saw some type of big cat. It was dusk, and I only got a glimpse of it before it disappeared into the woods. It definitely wasn’t a bear or a dog. Didn’t wanna see that up close either.

Either while we were there or right after we left, someone that was camping was killed by a bear. No thanks, I’m good on wandering around the woods lol. If I stay out of the wild animals’ living rooms, and they stay out of mine, we’ll all get along just fine. 

[chiver78]

I think skeeter may have been looking for an apology earlier today, but I'll only apologize for not sharing a link that explained my comment that clearly sailed over his head. the Darwin Awards aren't new by any stretch, and there's nothing redeeming about dying* by some method that was avoidable by the application of survival instinct or common fucking sense. I'm disappointed that skeeter is sheltered enough to have never heard of this internet phenomenon prior to my mentioning it today. 🤷‍♀️

*I've read that this woman may still be alive. this story warrants a Darwin Awards Honorable Mention, if that's the case.

darwinawards.com/