Wildlife Encounters

“Don’t let one come near me!”

The young man who flagged our refuge truck to wait for road construction had asked us where we were headed. When we told him we were going onto the Refuge to track wolves, at first he thought that was “cool,” but after some thought, he added, fearfully, that he wanted nothing to do with wolves.

Seeing a wolf

Perhaps we should have told this young man that he would be fortunate to see a wolf and that they generally avoid human contact out of fear. As a matter of fact, in three years, we’d seen only three wolves – all at a distance that required binoculars to determine that the moving object was, in fact, a wolf.

Few Sightings

While performing our biology duties on the Refuge, we rarely see animals. And the few that we have observed want nothing to do with us. Once, while trudging through shoulder-high, sodden grasses to monitor swan activity at a distant pond, we followed what appeared to be a freshly trampled trail. Peering ahead, we spotted a cow moose making her way through the wetland, mashing the grasses in her wake. She glanced back at us before continuing on her way.

[twocol_one]P1050338[/twocol_one] [twocol_one_last]Bull moose on Cascade Canyon horse trail[/twocol_one_last]

We’ve passed bighorn sheep with no interest in us as they continued grazing. We’ve spotted coyotes that scurry up a hillside to avoid us. We’ve glimpsed a bear turning tail and dashing into the forest to escape after catching sight of us. And we’ve seen a wolf emerge from behind a nearby hill, stop to eye us, and continue on her way, seemingly unimpressed.

Feeling Threatened

After being surrounded all day by such “menacing” critters, we still have not felt threatened. That is, until we tracked wolves one day from a museum parking lot where a visitor strolled among the outside exhibits with her English bulldog trotting around without a leash. As soon as Chuck lifted the tracking device, the dog swirled in his direction and ran toward Chuck, baring his teeth, barking and growling.

“Get that dog on a damned leash!” Chuck shouted at the owner. She begrudgingly pulled a leash from her pocket and clipped it onto the dog’s collar. It’s ironic, we thought, that the only threat we felt all day came from a domestic animal.

Fear of Nature

And yet, when we visit schools to prepare students for a field trip, one of the most common questions is, “What do I do if I’m attacked by an animal out there?” Like the construction flagger who stopped us on the road to the refuge, many young people today have little or no experience outdoors. They have visions of snakes, bears, wolves, and other wild animals hiding behind rocks, ready to pounce for no reason.

Even some adults who visit parks and other outdoor facilities fear confrontations with wildlife. “There’s only one animal out there waiting to attack and eat you,” we tell visitors to the Tetons.

“A bear?” they often ask. “A wolf?”

“No,” we say. “A mosquito!”

Immerse Children in Nature

While it is essential to pay attention while walking or hiking outdoors, generally wildlife avoids human contact if not surprised and if not crowded. With today’s “virtual” world, many children learn about and experience the outdoors through a computer. But there is no substitute for immersing them in nature and allowing them to discover that encountering wildlife is exciting and observing wildlife is educational.

It’s the only way to promote respect for nature and nurture a desire to protect and preserve it.

 

4 thoughts on “Wildlife Encounters”

  1. Enjoyed reading your article. You hit the nail on the head!! Keep up the good work you guys are doing. It’s my pleasure to know you both.

    Reply
  2. Hey, Chuck and Betty…great article. I can relate to the dog story…a man with a vicious dog was in Yellowstone this year…dog growling and snapping and out of control…finally got the damn dog on a leash…but after watching wildlife for a week…the BIG threat was from this guy and an out of control domestic (and I use the term loosely) dog! Keep up the good reporting…always glad to get your take on things.

    Reply
    • Yep, with all the “wild” animals we have to contend with in the Nat’l Parks, it’s ironic that sometimes the most dangerous encounters are with some ill-behaved bowser, allowed to terrorize people and wildlife by an idiot owner. Actually, it isn’t always the dog’s fault, but that of the human owner. Every winter in the Jackson area, there are numerous accounts of deer and other ungulates harassed and even killed by dogs allowed to roam uncontrolled. Thanks for your comments!

      Reply

Leave a Comment