Here in NM we have had numerous cases of black bear and mountain lion encounters this spring. Yesterday a person here at the National Lab came upon a mountain lion and cub not 15' (5m) away! Experts say its because this spring has been very wet and there is still a lot of snow in the higher elevations forcing the animals down into communities to look for food.
I know a lot of you go out alone to photograph but maybe you should think about taking someone with you? Or at the least, make sure someone knows where you are going and when to expect you back. Just be careful!
Nearly all maulings are human-caused, which appears to be the case here. A moron with a camera, hiking alone in the backcountry, invading the "bubble" of reasonable space that surrounds every wild creature. It's hard to sympathize with someone who gets mauled in the act of taking a picture. My prayers go out to the bear, that it doesn't get put down for protecting its turf.
There is more here than meets the eye. While I don't know the photographer that was mauled and wasn't there to see what happened, various sources including the NPS website indicate that he has a reputation for "pushing" animals and has been cited several times for violating the 100 yard buffer zone for bears. Additionally he was mauled by a grizzly in Glacier in 1993 in what appears to be the same set of circumstances.
I'm just back from 5 days in Yellowstone and based on descriptions of Mr. Cole from other boards I'm certain he was one of 2 photographers I saw last Saturday "harassing" a wolf in the Lamar Valley. Pushing, pushing, pushing, trying to get closer for the perfect shot. The wolf was trying to cross the road to hook up with the rest of the pack and these two bozos kept cutting his route off. Keep in mind most of my information comes from 2 other message boards but if half the stuff is true, Mr. Cole was a bear mauling just waiting to happen and his luck ran out. In any case, the behavior I saw him displaying towards the wolf was nothing short of reprehensible. The concern now is to just hope they don't decide to put the bear down.
As Nature photographers we have to be a bit more ethical, a bit more concerned with the enviroment both flora and fauna. If your behavior causes stress for an animal, stop it. The "shot" just isn't worth it.
That is one of the first things I learned while shooting wildlife, to never get in their "space" and affect their behavior. First of all, no shot is worth it if it puts the animal or the photographer in danger. Second of all, but less important, it does not make a very good image.
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Here in NM we have had numerous cases of black bear and mountain lion encounters this spring. Yesterday a person here at the National Lab came upon a mountain lion and cub not 15' (5m) away! Experts say its because this spring has been very wet and there is still a lot of snow in the higher elevations forcing the animals down into communities to look for food.
I know a lot of you go out alone to photograph but maybe you should think about taking someone with you? Or at the least, make sure someone knows where you are going and when to expect you back. Just be careful!
Joking aside, my prayers are with this guy. Thanks for the heads-up.
I'm just back from 5 days in Yellowstone and based on descriptions of Mr. Cole from other boards I'm certain he was one of 2 photographers I saw last Saturday "harassing" a wolf in the Lamar Valley. Pushing, pushing, pushing, trying to get closer for the perfect shot. The wolf was trying to cross the road to hook up with the rest of the pack and these two bozos kept cutting his route off. Keep in mind most of my information comes from 2 other message boards but if half the stuff is true, Mr. Cole was a bear mauling just waiting to happen and his luck ran out. In any case, the behavior I saw him displaying towards the wolf was nothing short of reprehensible. The concern now is to just hope they don't decide to put the bear down.
As Nature photographers we have to be a bit more ethical, a bit more concerned with the enviroment both flora and fauna. If your behavior causes stress for an animal, stop it. The "shot" just isn't worth it.