Don’t Take Selfies With Bears, Even If They Seem Sad

There’s something about communing with wildlife that lends itself to posting on social media. That’s not surprising in and of itself — if you’re out for a walk and see a rabbit scurrying around, a deer in repose or an especially eye-catching bird, taking a photo of it isn’t all that strange. That goes double for selfies; why not take a photo of you and an adorable squirrel if you see one on a hike? There is one big exception to that rule, though, and it has to do with animals that can kill or grievously wound you.

You’d think that would go without saying, and yet it bears repeating. And yes, the pun in that case is definitely intended. Writing at The Guardian, Richard Luscombe recounted the story of the Florida police who have had to warn people in and around Santa Rosa Beach that they should not pose for selfies with a depressed-looking bear.

“Walton County Sheriff’s Office deputies are monitoring a bear on the north side of Highway 98 near County Road 83 in Santa Rosa Beach,” the office in question wrote on Facebook this week. “Onlookers were trying to take selfies with the bear and he’s clearly not in the mood for pictures. The bear has shown signs of severe stress.”

“PLEASE DO NOT APPROACH black bears at any time,” the sheriff’s office aded. “Especially those that are showing aggression like this big fella.”

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According to The Guardian, the bear had left the scene by the time the state’s Fish and Wildlife Commission arrived on the scene. Still, avoiding selfies with animals that harm you is perennially good advice. Last year, one man attempted to take a selfie with a wild deer and ended up with broken ribs; earlier this year, a woman who tried to take a selfie with a bear was mauled. As a general rule of thumb, if something’s capable of grievous harm to you, giving it some space is probably the wisest course of action.