Visitors get dangerously close to black bear in Algonquin Park (VIDEO)

As humans, we love watching animals in the wild.

Unfortunately, some of us don’t realize the dangers in doing such things. A recent video has surfaced online of a group of visitors in Algonquin Park, and getting dangerously close to a black bear.

Black bears, in case you didn’t know, are capable of running over 45 km/hr. That’s a lot faster than any of these humans watching.

The Ontario park is home to over 40 mammals, over 30 kinds of reptiles and amphibians (none venomous), and more than 130 breeding birds, according to its website. The site also states that the Highway 60 Corridor is a great place to see wildlife.

“Be careful. If you stop to watch wildlife along the highway, remember to pull onto the shoulder, safely off the pavement,” warns the Algonquin Park page. “And remember that you are viewing wild animals; stay at a respectful distance at all times.”

But in the video posted by a regular visitor to the region, over a dozen people are seen stepping out of their vehicles to look at a bear. Many walk closer towards the wild animal to take closer pictures of it.

As the user points out, Algonquin Park is not a petting zoo. And visitors should respect the wild animals.

Algonquin has a list of Black Bear Safety rules in its park, and it includes never approaching or feeding bears.

So while we love watching animals in nature, keep your distance, and never walk closer to it. Your zoom lens will do just fine.

See also