A recent Reddit post in the r/pics community is generating buzz for all the wrong reasons.
The post, titled "Less than 10m away from an adult grizzly bear," shows photos of a man photographing a massive grizzly bear at an alarmingly close range.
According to the Redditor who shared the images, this risky wildlife encounter occurred in late May along the Icefield Parkway in Jasper National Park.
"The person taking the photo is very likely not a local," the poster noted in a follow-up comment. "In any case, no one should get out of their vehicles while photographing any wildlife."
The photos depict the tourist standing at the foot of a hill, with a camera aimed at the nearby bear. The hulking grizzly appears to be walking just steps away from the individual.
While the breathtaking beauty of places like Jasper National Park inspires us to connect with nature, getting too close to wild animals threatens their safety and our own. When we encroach on bears' territory, it disrupts their natural behaviors and causes them stress.
Habituated bears that lose their instinctual fear of humans are more likely to be euthanized if an encounter turns violent. The National Park Service warns that bears' behavior "is sometimes unpredictable," even if they look calm and non-threatening.
As one commenter put it, "That is like a seconds distance for the bear. It could attack him if it wanted to."
Another quipped, "I'll take, 'Things that make me think NOPE' for 400."
A third Redditor pointed out the obvious: "I think I'm too close to this bear and I'm in another continent."
Respecting nature means giving wildlife plenty of space, for their well-being and ours. Let's savor the wonders of the natural world from a responsible distance and set an example for other visitors when traveling to national parks.
A breathtaking bear photo isn't worth risking injury or worse — no matter how many "likes" it earns on Instagram.
Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
