Wildlife selfies are a bad idea, as these gingerbread cookies illustrate
Happy holidays from the National Park Service. Don't take a selfie with a bison.
The US National Park Service wants to take a bite out of bad selfie behavior. The agency is trying to reinforce good photo etiquette and decided gingerbread cookies would be the way to convince us all to stay a safe distance away from wildlife.
"Use a zoom lens on your camera," the NPS tweeted on Friday. "If you are close enough to take a selfie with wildlife, you are wayyyy too close ... gingerly back away."
This holiday season, #KeepSafetyInThePicture!
— National Park Service (@NatlParkService) December 20, 2019
Use a zoom lens on your camera. If you are close enough to take a selfie with wildlife, you are wayyyy too close...gingerly back away.
Learn more at https://t.co/FVYMwUISMK#FindYourPark #ThatsTheWayTheCookieCrumbles 🍪 pic.twitter.com/AA4Z74REQx
The agency set the scene with photos showing a gingerbread man posing for a selfie with two bison. The next image shows the cookie flying through the air with a "WTF just happened" expression on its face.
The NPS doled out some more detailed advice in an Instagram version of the post. "Animals may appear to be calm and docile but are unpredictable and can easily be startled," the agency warned. It suggests sticking to trails and boardwalks and keeping your eye on the trail rather than your camera.
You would think people might learn after a bison flipped a photographer, a jaguar clawed a woman and a shark bit an Instagram model. Nature doesn't have patience for your selfie foolishness. Don't end up like the NPS gingerbread man. Take safe selfies.
