National Park Service Shares Comical ‘Wildlife Petting Chart’
"Don't pet the wildlife".
This seems like a no-brainer to the average Wyomingite, but for some strange reason, a large percentage of our annual tourist population just doesn't get it.
You would think after so many viral videos of tourists getting hurt would deter this type of behavior, but for some odd reason, it's doesn't.
Maybe that's why the official National Park Service Facebook page recently shared a hilarious "Wildlife Petting Chart" in the hopes of getting their point across with a dose of comedy. Along with funny chart, they captioned it with a message that read:
It’s summer! Time to dust off the old chart…
We all know national parks offer a unique experience for watching wildlife. But with that privilege comes responsibility. Visitors are responsible for their own safety and for the safety of the animals, too. Simply put, keep your distance—no touching, no feeding, no harassing. For those that do follow the rules and give animals the room they need, THANK YOU! Share this message far and wide with those who don’t follow parks online or may need an extra reminder that a 2,000 pound bison always has the right of way. Also, though the squirrels at Grand Canyon National Park may do a spot on impression of Oliver Twist, please, sir, they don’t need more of your snacks. We want everyone to have a safe and memorable experience in the parks, animals included.
Find more tips for watching wildlife safely at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/watchingwildlife/7ways.htm
Here's to hoping the next batch of Wyoming tourist get the picture and honestly before it's too late. There hasn't been an animal-related casualty reported in awhile, but that's still no reason to tempt fate. After all, these animals are called "wildlife" for a reason... keyword being wild.
By the way, if this looks familiar, there's a reason for that. The National Park Service has shared it before. They'll probably have to keep sharing it, at least annually until either the masses get the point, or something very unfortunate happens. Here's to hoping it's not the later.