Photographers weigh in on disrespecting nature
In my recent post on selfies and their destructive power, I called it an existential threat. I seriously intended it to be bi-directional threat – to humans and to nature (trees especially coming from the redwoods). A photographer publication, Photography, published an article last week focusing on Banff National Park (CA) and the threat to bears – from tourist paparazzi.
Similar to human celebrities, famous bears are also hounded by paparazzi. These so-called “wildlife paparazzi” crave the perfect photo or video, putting themselves and animals at risk. Experts warn that this constant attention disrupts natural behavior and can even endanger the bears.
https://www.diyphotography.net/the-rise-of-wildlife-paparazzi-poses-threat-to-wild-bears/
They go on
With cell phone cameras, the digital photos of wildlife have become the 21st Century equivalent of hunters going out and bagging an animal that they can hang on their wall,” said Brian Spreadbury, who worked in Lake Louise for 15 years. “The whole social media phenomenon where people go out and get those trophy photos, and they feel the need to share them, and they also end up sharing locations, is creating problems because it just draws more and more people.”
https://www.diyphotography.net/the-rise-of-wildlife-paparazzi-poses-threat-to-wild-bears/
To those who photograph wildlife without disrupting their normal life — KUDOS to you! To those who will do anything (regardless of how stupid or damaging), remember the potential impact to those animals
- Habituation: Bears become accustomed to humans and lose their natural fear, increasing the risk of dangerous encounters.
- Disrupted behavior: The noise and close proximity of crowds make it difficult for bears to hunt, hide from predators, and find mates.
- Food dependency: Bears may be drawn to areas with human activity in search of handouts or spilled food.
There are guidelines. Grand Teton National Park requires no closer than 100 yards; Canada parks recommend no closer than 100 meters. In CA Redwoods, approaching wildlife for any purpose is illegal. There are sufficient reasons to let ’em life their life and stop putting them at risk because we want a photo or selfie to hang on the wall so everybody will ‘look at me!’