NABBING NATURE

Yellowstone Tourists Strike Again—Take Baby Elk in Their Car

Yellowstone once again is reminding visitors to leave wildlife alone.

Yellowstone National Park officials are once again asking tourists not to interfere with wildlife after a group of visitors took a newborn elk in their car and drove it to the police station on Memorial Day weekend. “Visitors placed an elk calf in their car while likely driving on U.S. Highway 191 in the park and brought the newborn to the West Yellowstone, Montana, Police Department,” officials said in a statement, reported Friday by Outsider. “The elk [calf] later ran off into the forest and its condition is unknown.” It’s the second reported interaction between tourists and the park’s wildlife recently. Last week, the seemingly well-intentioned Yellowstone visitor who moved a baby bison—which later had to be euthanized after it was rejected from its herd—pleaded guilty to disturbing wildlife. Now, Yellowstone is once again reminding visitors to leave wildlife alone. “Approaching wild animals can drastically affect their well-being and, in some cases, their survival,” the park said. “When an animal is near a campsite, trail, boardwalk, parking lot, on a road, or in a developed area, leave it alone and give it space.”