Story text:

BANFF, ALTA - Some photo-hungry German tourists have landed a fine for chasing and yelling at a grizzly bear and her cubs in Banff.

“They saw a grizzly and reacted in a way that’s very typical of tourists, and they just gravitated towards the bear without thinking of their safety or the safety of the wildlife," said Sharon Woods, Banff National Park warden.

Another group of visitors from the U.S. reported the incident last June and park officials charged one man $750 under the National Parks Act.

“They admitted they thought it was OK to get up close and chase them,” Woods said.

Although the mother bear that the tourists came in contact with is known as a tolerant animal, the group was lucky they hadn’t encountered an aggressive grizzly, she said.

“Had it been another grizzly bear with cubs, the outcome may have been completely different because they did get within 20 to 15 metres of the bear and they were yelling, hollering and whistling at the bear. They were surprised that behaviour was unacceptable in a national park.”

While not all inappropriate wildlife encounters will end with a fine, Woods said she is hopeful this sends a message to other visitors that animals cannot be harassed in a national park.

“Ultimately what we’d like to see is that zoo mentality gone from our visitors."

Submitted on 11/25/2010

Submitted by: R.L. Nonay
Reference: Canoe.ca news, Nov 25 2010

Copyright © 2010 DarwinAwards.com

Bruce said:
Definitely Keep: Honorable Mention
I'm by no means an expert when it comes to wildlife but even I know that you never provoke a mother bear and her cubs. The fact that these people thought it was ok for them to chase the bears is more than enough for me to vote for an HM. Thanks, R.L.!

Candi said:
Definitely Keep: Honorable Mention
Not messing with momma bears is one of the cornerstones of dealing with wildlife!

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