Saturday, March 2, 2013

Don't Feed the Wildlife!

Hubby and were headed out for an evening photo shoot when we came upon a van stopped in the middle of the lane.  What was going on?  A coyote on the side of the road.  I quickly grabbed my camera with no time to check the settings before Jules drove around the other vehicle (when will I learn to leave it in auto mode?)
This is what I found when I downloaded my images, woefully underexposed!  The camera had been in manual mode, set for much more light.  All was not lost, I was shooting in raw.
 Not the beautiful image I would have liked but good enough to make another point.  Not only had the driver stopped in the traffic lane, he was feeding the coyote and inviting it in to his van!  We then heard a woof of a different sort, a ranger pulled up behind.
The driver was pulled over at "Valley View", our first photo stop and I heard the ranger say he was giving a citation for stopping on the road but the "biggie" was the citation for feeding wildlife.  I don't know what this will cost the driver but it can be as much as $5,000.
Human food is not good for animals (much of it isn't good for humans, either).   Feeding wildlife can train them that humans are a source of food and they can become aggressive and dangerous.
Wildlife should not be fed or approached but no matter how hard rangers try, some folks just don't get the message.

See more critters at Camera Critters.

11 comments:

Sylvia K said...

Oh, that is indeed a problem and I've read about it over and over again! You're right, some people just don't get the message! It's a great shot regardless of the settings, Martha! Hope you're enjoying your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Wow, I would be afraid to be too close to the wildlife to feed it. They were taking a chance and they deserve a citation. Great sighting and photo!

biebkriebels said...

Amazing you got the photo anyway. Some people can be so stupid to feed the wild.

trav4adventures said...

Feeding coyotes is a VERY BAD IDEA! I know because two women last year were attacked in their front yards by coyotes and bitten here in the desert. They didn't provoke them or anything. Once coyotes lose their fear of humans...well, you know the story...I was out hiking one morning, looked up, and saw 4 of them watching me. I ran at them, yelling, and screaming. They learned to fear me! I really don't want to be attacked by one when I'm out for my morning walks!

John @ Beans and I on the Loose said...

I bet that made the ranger's day. I'd think they probably don't catch people in the act that often but then maybe the do more than we realize, after all, there are a lot of idiots out there.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

If only people would let wild animals be! There have been so many times when we've wished for a ranger and one isn't there. Of course, they can't be everywhere, and I'm very happy they were there in this case. I hope this guy and others who witnessed the stop learned a lesson.

Katney said...

Right on!

Judy said...

What kind of an idiot would try and lure the coyote into his van? Did he think he could take it home? See the comments above about people being bitten - the guy would have closed the door, and been mauled!!!
On the other hand, that would take him out of the gene pool...

Judy said...

What kind of an idiot would try and lure the coyote into his van? Did he think he could take it home? See the comments above about people being bitten - the guy would have closed the door, and been mauled!!!
On the other hand, that would take him out of the gene pool...

Unknown said...

A $5,000 fine would certainly get my attention!

Barb said...

Martha, We have a terrible problem with wildlife feeding in our neighborhood. Why do people feel they must domesticate wild things?