Our world is filled with majestic wildlife, but respect for such creatures can often be forgotten.
A viral video posted in the r/WinStupidPrizes subreddit offers a stark reminder of the dangers that can come with interacting with wildlife — like when wild elk charge. The clip, posted to Reddit, shows a family in Estes Park, Colorado, moving away from the park as the group of elk creeps closer.
A man in the video can be heard saying he wanted to "get out of the way" after seeing some of the elk "showing teeth."
Moments after, one of the elk with large, sharp antlers is seen swiftly running toward pedestrians.
Despite the apparent danger, many in the area appeared unnerved. One man is even seen walking past one of the elk while some warn him to "watch out." As he attempted to pass just inches away from the elk's sharp antlers, the man was knocked over a small wall by the animal.
While everyone appeared to come out of the frightening encounter unscathed, similar encounters can have dangerous consequences. In some scenarios, animals that injure bystanders — whether the interaction was provoked or unprovoked, may be euthanized.
Stressful events further put wildlife in danger, as humans and pets can pass on diseases to protected animals and cause other damage to ecosystems.
The National Park Service has called on all people to keep these safety concerns in mind when visiting national parks or other areas where one might interact with wildlife.
"Watching wildlife safely is the responsibility of all park visitors. When you visit national parks, you are entering animals' habitat and should behave like a polite guest," the National Park Service says.
Respect for animals and wildlife not only ensures their and our own safety but also helps foster awareness of our changing climate and mitigation efforts.
These dangerous encounters with nature should serve as a reminder of their beauty and dire need to be protected, rather than exploited by tourons — a term for tourists acting like morons – looking for a good photo.
People in the comments agreed that there should be a higher level of respect for wildlife.
"As an avid hunter, it always bothers me seeing people be this careless around wild animals. This ain't your typical house cat," one person wrote.
"Estes Park, they're wild animals it's not a petting zoo," another said.
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