Officials at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming are asking the public for information about two men it said were seen approaching and touching a bison calf on Sunday.
The incident reportedly happened at the southern end of Elk Ranch Flats.
Park officials are asking anyone who may have been in the area on Sunday afternoon and has information that could help in the investigation, or if you know who these individuals are, to call the park Tip Line at 307-739-3367.
Anyone who sees harassment of wildlife happening in the park may also call the Teton Interagency Dispatch Center at 307-739-3301 to report the incident.
"Interference by people can cause wildlife to reject their offspring," park officials said in a Facebook post. "In this case, fortunately, the calf was successfully reunited with its herd, but often these interactions result in euthanizing the animal. Approaching wildlife can drastically affect their well-being and survival."
Yellowstone National Park officials recently put out a plea to the public to protect wildlife inside the park after several incidents, including the death of a bison calf that was pulled out of a river. In another incident, an elk calf was placed inside a vehicle and taken to a police station outside the park where the animal ran off.
Grand Teton National Park issued these safety guidelines for park visitors:
- Be alert for wildlife and keep a safe distance. Always maintain a distance of at least 100 yards from bears and wolves, and 25 yards from other wildlife. Use binoculars, a spotting scope, or a telephoto lens for a good view. Never position yourself between a female and offspring—mothers are very protective. Let wildlife thrive undisturbed. If your actions cause an animal to change their behavior, you are too close. The National Park Service has provided 7 tips on how to watch wildlife safely.
- Do not tease, touch, frighten or intentionally disturb wildlife.
- Roadside viewing is popular, but please keep the road clear. Use pullouts or pull completely off the roadway with all four wheels to the right of the white line.
- It is illegal to feed any wildlife—birds, ground squirrels, bears, foxes, etc. Wildlife will depend on people for food, resulting in poor nutrition and aggressive behavior. If fed, any animal may become unhealthy, bite you, expose you to rabies, or need to be killed.
- To protect wildlife and visitors, the park may close key habitat areas to all travel. Some areas are temporarily closed and others have seasonal closures. For the latest closures, check nps.gov/tetonclosures.
