On this National Wildlife Day and everyday, practice viewing wildlife from a safe distance. Here are 7 ways to safely watch wildlife courtesy of @nationalparkservice 1. Know before you go. Every park is unique and has specific guidelines, including minimum wildlife viewing distances and food storage requirements 2. Give animals room. The best way to stay safe when watching wildlife is to give animals room to move. Many parks require you to stay a minimum distance of 25 yards from most wildlife and 100 yards from predators like bears and wolves. Let wildlife be wild and observe from a distance 3. Do not disturb. Even when you’re farther away, leaving wildlife alone can help your viewing experience—plus it’s the law. It’s illegal to feed, touch, tease, frighten, or intentionally disturb wildlife. Remember that wildlife in parks are wild and can be unpredictable when they’re disturbed or surprised 4. Keep your eyes on the road. Vehicle strikes are one of the most deadly types of encounters for wildlife in parks. Be sure to always follow the speed limits and watch for wildlife that may dart into the road. When you want to stop to watch wildlife, pull your vehicle completely off of the road into a designated pull-out 5. Store your food and stash your trash. Feeding wildlife in parks can make them come looking for more. To an animal, anything that smells like food is treated like food. Access to trash, and even crumbs left on picnic tables can attract them 6. See something, say something. Tell a ranger if you come into physical contact with wildlife. Also, tell a ranger if you see wildlife that are sick, dead, or acting strangely, including wildlife that approach you. And when you see people who aren’t following these guidelines, let them know what they can do to be a smart wildlife watcher, too, and contact a ranger if necessary 7. Be responsible. Ultimately, staying safe and keeping wildlife wild is up to you! When you go out into a national park, it’s your responsibility to keep yourself, your family, and the wildlife safe #nationalwildlifeday ••••• Thank you @audacityofamber for the capture ••••• A casual stroll next to good ol’ faithful🦬