Published October 28, 2014 09:10PM
Lake Tahoe Warns Visitors to Stop Talking Selfies with Bears
Photo ops with black bears are becoming all too common.
'Black bears are prominent throughout North America. (John Jacques)'
The U.S. Forest Service is asking Lake Tahoe visitors to stop taking selfies with black bears in response to numerous instances of tourists approaching the bears in search of photo ops.
Each October, bears feed on the salmon swimming upstream in the Taylor Creek area, which in turns draws large crowds of spectators. “There were like 30 people taking pictures of themselves with the bears,” one witness told ABC News. “I was concerned. You never know what’s going to happen with bears, but people just stuck around.”
In a statement, Tahoe officials reminded the public that bears are wild animals and to keep a safe distance. In August, a Lake Tahoe resident was attacked by a black bear in her backyard. Authorities had allegedly been warning the woman to stop feeding local bears and are now considering whether or not to press charges.
Mashable has a roundup of several recent bear selfies posted to social media accounts.