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Giving Wildlife the Room to Live
(all images made with 400mm or longer lens)
by Lonnie Brock
The Bull Elk of Rocky Mountain National Park, © Lonnie Brock
Introduction
Don't Feed the Animals
How Close Can I Go?
Respect All Bears
Only Bears Are Dangerous?
Children and Wildlife
Along the Road
Photographing Wildlife
Introduction and the Problem:
We all share the
responsibility for our own safety, that of those around us and that of animals
that we observe or photograph. Inappropriate behavior can lead to
confrontations that result in injury or death either to the animals or
people. Visitors to our public lands need to be aware that their actions
can lead to severe stress for animals and that an animal that feels pressured
may react aggressively. Such behavior is the animal's only form of communication
and protection. It is important to understand the necessity of observing
and photographing wild animals from a safe distance, as well as the negative
impact of feeding them. As you read through this section, remember that it
is meant to help you become more knowledgeable about wildlife. Help others
obtain a better understanding of how to protect animals while enjoying them.
Don't
Feed the Animals:
We have all heard that
feeding animals can put us and our friends in danger. However, every time
we visit a park or similar area, we still see people feeding the wildlife.
Being fed can also be harmful to the animals:
-
Animals that are fed
along roads tend to frequent road edges for handouts. This can result
in animal-vehicle accidents.
-
Animals that become
accustomed to human food may eat aluminum foil, plastic, and other
wrappings. This can severely damage their digestive systems, often
causing death. A few years ago, several deer at Grand Canyon National
Park were put to death because they had ingested plastic bags while
searching for human food and the bags had clogged their stomachs.
-
Most animals' digestive
systems are not suited for human food. Poor diet results in tooth
decay, ulcers, malformations, arthritis, and other diseases.
Back
to the Top
How
Close Can I Go?
Wild animals should
always be allowed to carry out their normal behavior without interruption.
That is the key thought to remember. If an animal moves away from you,
turns its back towards you, stops eating, changes direction of travel, stands
when it is resting, or becomes aggressive, you have gotten too close. In
many of our public lands, there are local regulations on the safe distance to
maintain from the local wildlife that should certainly be heeded. However,
every situation is different and posted regulations are no guarantee of safe
distances. You should certainly use common sense and observe what the
animal is telling you.
Wild animals that have been
approached too closely, have:
-
Been startled and run
into traffic where they have been hit by vehicles.
-
Lost footing on cliffs
and fallen.
-
Fled suddenly and
suffered injury or death while trying to escape.
-
Been separated from
their young or abandoned their nest.
-
Been distracted from
watching for predators.
-
Acquired a human scent
track that can lure predators to nests or young.
-
Abandoned an important
food source, reducing their chances for survival.
-
Responded aggressively
without warning, posing a danger to those watching them.
Back
to the Top
Respect
All Bears:
When in bear country, make your
presence known, by talking loudly, clapping your hands, or occasionally calling
out. A favorite with the rangers in Glacier National Park is to
periodically call "Hey, Bear" as one roams down the trails of the park.
The key is to be heard and not surprise the bears.
Some important bear facts to remember are:
-
All bears can run as fast as
horses, both uphill and down.
-
All bears can climb trees,
some better than others.
-
A bear's eyesight is much
better than most people believe. Don't be fooled.
-
Avoid direct eye
contact. It is often interpreted by bears and other animals as a
challenge or threat.
-
A bear standing on its hind
legs usually wants a better view and only wants more information.
-
On four legs, a bear may show
agitation by swaying its head from side to side, making huffing noises, and
clacking its teeth.
-
A charge or retreat may
follow. Flattened ears and raised hair on the back of the neck
indicate aggressive intent. If a bear runs with a stiff, bouncing
gait, it may be a false charge.
-
Never run away from a
bear. back away slowly.
Because of their size and
reputations (often the result of popular fiction), bears are a special
case. A bear that shows aggression towards public land visitors or accepts
food will be destroyed because of the possible threat to public safety.
Help protect the bears, when in bear country:
-
Stay informed about recent
bear activity in the area.
-
Leave a travel plan with a
friend, and sign in and out at the trailhead so someone will know when to
expect your return.
-
Hike in groups to avoid
surprising bears.
-
Hike during daylight hours
only.
-
Make human sounds by talking,
singing or clapping your hands. Avoid high-pitched voices.
-
stay alert and be aware of
your surroundings. The potential for a bear encounter always
exists. Watch for droppings, paw prints, fresh diggings, logs torn
apart , and rocks turned over. these signal that a bear is active in
the area.
-
It is easy to become absorbed
in your photography - stay alert and stay alive.
-
Bear food supplies such as
berries, spawning fish, and animal carcasses should be recognized and
avoided.
-
Watch for noisy streams and
wind directions that may mask your sound and scent.
-
Just because you don't see
bears doesn't mean that they are not close by. Grizzly bears hide ro
make day-beds in thick brush, often near trails.
-
always carry a used bandana,
shirt or parka that you can drop easily if you have a close encounter with a
bear. Avoid dropping food, this will only encourage the bear's
aggressiveness towards other hikers.
Back to the Top
Only
Bears Are Dangerous?
Bears seem to get the most media
attention when they are involved in confrontations with people. However,
other wild animals have been involved in more confrontations that lead to
serious injuries and fatalities. Keep this in mind the next time you see
anyone approaching wildlife. In all species, both females and males are
potentially dangerous.
Many public land animals have
become accustomed to people and unfortunately will allow people to come very
close before responding. This does not mean they are tame, like pets or
farm animals, but that the safe distance between the people and the animals has
decreased. This only means that when flight or fight is chosen, a retreat
to a safe distance for people may be too late. The animal has less time to
determine whether to fight or flee when it feels threatened. When it does
choose, a visible warning is not always apparent.
Some specific thoughts, but not
an all-encompassing list of possible dangers:
-
Buffalo may look slow but are
actually very fast and have short tempers. Buffalo will stomp, use
their horns and their massive body weights to gore or otherwise injure what
they consider to be a threat.
-
Moose will charge - running,
kicking and stomping - when they feel threatened. It only takes a
small provocation, like a person's approach, a dog barking or the scent of a
coyote, to change a passive moose into a dangerous moose.
-
Deer can cause injuries and
sometimes death by kicking and using their antlers without warning.
Keep a safe distance.
-
Bighorn sheep and mountain
goats will butt people, breaking bones and inflicting puncture wounds.
This is a normal form of communication for them. Your only protection is to
keep a safe distance.
-
Chipmunks, squirrels,
rabbits, foxes, raccoons, and other small animals can carry rabies and Rocky
Mountain spotted fever. They also can inflict painful scratches and
bites prone to infection.
-
Many birds will abandon eggs
or young in the nest if disturbed by people approaching.
-
All animals are especially
dangerous during their mating season. This includes relatively
harmless looking birds, like hawks, swans and herons.
-
Never surround any animal
with a group of people. A startled animal may charge right through the
group, inflicting injury on its way.
Back to the Top
Children
and Wildlife:
Teach you children how to protect
wildlife by protecting themselves. Wild animals, unlike those encountered in
petting zoos or farms, pose special dangers:
-
Children are similar size to
some predators' natural prey.
-
Children should always be
within immediate sight and reach.
-
Children should be told not
to play in or near dense brush.
-
Children should avoid running
along trails or areas with dense brush.
-
Children should not make
animal-like sounds while hiking or playing.
-
Children should be warned not
to approach animals, with special warning about baby animals.
-
Children should never be
encouraged to pet, feed or pose for a photo with animals in the wild - even
if they appear tame.
Back to the Top
Along the
Road:
-
Allow animals to cross the
road unobstructed.
-
Animals often travel in pairs
or groups. If one runs in front of you, watch for others to follow.
-
Do not lure animals to your
car with food or throw food at them. This encourages them to frequent
the road area.
-
Observe or photograph
animals, especially bears, from your car. Do not drive close to
animals. Many animals can and will cause serious damage if they feel
threatened by the presence of your vehicle.
-
Do not park on the
roadway. Always park in turnouts.
-
Always observe local
regulations and common sense.
Back to the Top
Photographing
Wildlife -
Purchasing
a Camera Does Not Give Anyone the Right to Put Animals, Birds or Marine Life
Under Stress!
-
Wildlife should only be
photographed from a vehicle, an observation area, or with an adequately long
lens (in most cases 400mm or longer).
-
Remain alert to potential
dangers in your eagerness to make the perfect image; 500 to 1,000 feet is
recommended to avoid provoking large animals.
-
Never surprise an
animal. Retreat at any sign of stress or aggression.
-
Avoid direct eye contact,
even through the lens.
-
Don't crouch or take a stance
that may appear aggressive to a wild animal. Avoid following or
chasing as the animal may respond by charging.
-
Never try to herd an animal
to a different location.
-
Don't make sounds of any kind
to startle or gain the attention of an animal.
-
Never surround or crowd an
animal.
-
Avoid occupied dens or nests.
-
Watch other people in the
area. Are they putting you or the animals in danger?
-
Avoid dense brush.
How do professional
photographers make great wildlife photos?
The easiest , and possibly the
safest, way to find wildlife and make great images may be visiting captive
animals at wildlife game farms. If this approach is taken and the images
are published, it is imperative that you disclose where they were made.
There is some controversy among nature photographers as to whether captive
animals are should ever be used. The arguments from both sides of this
controversy are compelling, and only you can make your decision on this matter.
However, if photographing in the
wild, there are two things that are needed for great wildlife images:
-
The first is the proper
equipment. Powerful telephoto lenses are a must. As noted above,
if you are doing everything else correctly around animals, you should
probably be using a 400mm lens or longer to photograph wildlife. That
can be accomplished less expensively by renting longer lenses for special
trips or by purchasing teleconverters for 200mm and longer lenses. In
many cases, professionals are carrying 500mm or 600mm lenses and
teleconverters, to be able to shoot at focal lengths of up to 1000mm or
1200mm. Although faster equipment does make the task easier, it is
sometimes prohibitively expensive for the occasional use by an amateur, and
I have seen many images made by our students with slower lenses that are
excellent. Check to see if your manufacturer of choice makes an f/4
lens instead of an f/2.8 (there can actually be a few thousand dollars of
difference in the cost) or if there is another manufacturer that makes a
good all purpose zoom that has relatively long capabilities, although at
slower speeds (good examples that we often see in the workshops include the
Tamron 28-300mm f/5.0-6.3, the Tamron 200-400mm f/5.6 and the Sigma 170-500
f/5.0-6.3), or that makes a less expensive long fixed focal length lens (in
this case, you may be able to buy an extra couple of hundred millimeters of
length for the same money as a "name" brand). There seem to
have been great improvements made in the lenses offered by so-called
"second tier" manufacturers in recent times.
-
The second, and absolutely
necessary, thing needed is an abundance of patience. Although the rare
spectacular shot may fall in your lap, don't expect that to happen; many
wildlife photographers have devoted years to making the desired image in a
responsible manner. If you don't believe you have the time to do this,
you should probably be photographing something other than wildlife or be
photographing habitat images (wildlife at a much smaller size within the
image that illustrates the animal in its environment). If you can't
make the image you desire in an ethical manner, be happy to have simply
witnessed the majestic creatures in the wild. Being a part of nature
is more important, and hopefully more satisfying, than any photograph you
can ever make. We are all stewards of the natural world.
Give Wildlife the Room to Live
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