I’ve posted on this topic before – my intense dislike of seeing YouTubers pick up and handle or disturb wildlife to get the good shots, especially the selfies. I’d like to ask my fellow hikers/ backpackers to step up and comment when needed. Spread the word that we look, not touch. We are mindful that we are in the homes of these animals, and courtesy is required.
Now there are a few studies actually looking at this issue – how social media encourages bad behavior that impacts wildlife. It’s not just my anxiety driving my concern; this is happening on a widespread scale. Well known social media personalities like Dixie for example, pick up and handle lizards, insert cameras into tree wells to capture nesting birds, or make noises to attract wildlife to approach. Wildlife photographers have always baited and done other unethical things to get good shots, but there weren’t that many. The backcountry is now filled with well-meaning but ignorant folks who will do whatever Dixie or other YouTubers/Instagrammers do. Social media encourages people to imitate actions (follow) and the iPhone now allows everyone to get good quality images or video. So this one person disturbs a nest, and now thousands will try to do the same; people will even ask where to go to do this same activity. The Hungry Hiker (another YouTuber) recently posted a video of a hiker picking up a desert tortoise in the Superstition mountains, an action I believe is actually illegal. In our local area, someone posted a video of a teenager trying to pet an owl to a birding forum; I was shocked that no one objected. And of course there’s the rock stacking. Just try to talk to someone who likes to create “art” in the wilderness that maybe they shouldn’t. Maybe the rocks are already lovely, stacked by nature. But somehow we need to be “involved.” It’s not enough to get a photo of a bison, we have to be in the frame. We have to be at the center of the attention.
If all these things happened once, it wouldn’t be a concern. But clearly people do follow the social media behaviors suggested by the most popular videographers, as evidenced by trail popularity booming after movies or videos are released. I have no doubt that people will “monkey see monkey do” and thousands will now pick up those lizards and tortoises and seek out bird nests.
We will indeed love it to death. I wish people wanting contact with animals would adopt some of the unwanted dogs and cats that get killed at shelters every day. You can hug and pet those guys all you want and no harm done. Plus all the selfies. And observe, but don’t touch, corner, feed or harass the wildlife. I now contact social media posters every time I see this type of behavior and ask them to retract or update their work to discourage wildlife harassment. So far none seem to care. This issue will be much harder to address than trying to get hikers to LNT. People feel they have the right, because they “saw it on TV.”
