The US Forest Service in charge of the Taylor Creek Visitor’s Center in South Lake Tahoe have issued a warning to all visitors about the dangers of taking selfies with wild bears.

Unsafe Bear Selfies Could Result In Closing Of Area

“We’ve had mobs of people that are actually rushing toward the bears trying to get a ‘selfie’ photo,” revealed Lisa Herron, spokeswoman for the Lake Tahoe Bason Management.

While this dangerous trend has not yet resulted in any bear attacks, Herron and other US Forest Service officials are simply not willing to risk the lives of any visitors. They have gone so far as to threaten to close down the area to tourists should the trend continue.

“It is a pressing safety issue. We are afraid someone is going to get attacked,” Herron added.

On Oct. 24, the US Forest Service released an official written warning to potential visitors, saying, “Human interaction with bears at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center…has reached an unsafe level.”

Forest Supervisor Nancy Gibson emphasized that bears are wild animals, prone to attack when feeling threatened. “We can’t have visitors creating dangerous situations for themselves and others. People are risking serious injury or death if they get too close to a bear,” Gibson said.

The statement also warns that approaching a wild bear in an ill-advised manner to get a photo or video could not only be dangerous for the visitors, but for the bears as well, as bears “may be captured and killed if they attack.”

Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.