‘In my state that is 100% illegal’
A YouTube clip from Montana has viewers shaking their heads (and, let’s face it, secretly cheering a little) after two men learn the hard way that taunting wildlife isn’t a good idea.
short video written by ABC7 (@ABC7) shows the couple approaching a deer standing on the side of an icy road. A man slowly approaches and touches the animal’s hindquarters, but slips and falls as the massive creature whirls around in response.
As the men walk away, the deer attacks. Lucky for them, neither of them were injured; but this was a close outcome that could easily have been fatal. Deer are powerful and unpredictable, and encounters like this can result in serious injuries for both humans and animals.
As wildlife experts often remind people, wild animals are not social media material and deserve distance and respect. Approaching animals in this way in national parks can lead to fines and even bans. Harassing wild animals is not only dangerous to humans, it can also injure and stress animals. Additionally, in some cases, animals are euthanized after harming humans, even if provoked.
Unfortunately, this is just one of many examples floating around the internet of people harassing or getting too close to wildlife. From tourists taunting a bull moose in Colorado to people feeding wild animals to people getting too close to large predators like bears, yes, bears. This type of behavior is incredibly more common than it should be.
Like conservation groups Wildlife Conservation Society and widely accepted principles such as Leave No Trace We offer simple, science-based guidelines for safely sharing spaces with wildlife; including giving them plenty of space, avoiding feeding or scaring them, and reporting abuse (like the men in the video) to local authorities.
Viewers filled the comments with anger and disbelief.
“This deer was docile in his charge here. They were lucky that was all he did,” wrote one user, while another added: “This is 100% illegal in my state… YOU DO NOT harass wildlife.”
Others called for fines or criminal penalties, pointing out that harassing wildlife is both dangerous and illegal in many states. Including Montana.
As more than one commenter summed it up perfectly: “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.”
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