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Keeping wild animals wild

Signs in any National Park scream the same message: Don't feed the wildlife. Mainly, if you feed them, you're one, way too close to them and two you begin to tame them.

I spent some time at the Grand Canyon last month, and one afternoon, my boyfriend and I came across about 20 cars parked along the side of the road. This usually means an animal has been spotted. Normally, I enjoy viewing them from the car, but the male, adult elk of everyone's attention was deep in the trees, and I needed to leave my car to actually see it.

A park ranger the day before taught me a good trick. If you stick up your thumb and can still see the animal behind it, you're too close.

I did the test, and we were at a safe distance. I allowed my video camera's zoom lens to get the closer look for me. But others were not as smart. Five or six people approached the large elk, coming within 10 feet of the wild animal. One quick move from the elk, and someone could have gotten hurt, or possibly killed.

It is never a good idea to get close to a wild animal. Although we don't have elk in North Carolina, we do have deer. Deer are wild animals and should never be approached. If the animal is injured, contact the proper people to help, but never approach it.

It can be hard to not get close to an animal. As someone who does a lot of hiking, I've run across bison, elk, big horn sheep and a moose in New Hampshire. Yet, I've never been hurt, since I've learned the basics of animal behavior. Stop, let the animal walk away, and then continue what you were doing.

Another incident I heard about while on vacation: a woman was attempting to feed a squirrel, she got bit, and died of the plague. Not a great way to end your vacation.