Quick quiz: If you're out and about in the forest and happen to see a wild bear, should you, a. run away screaming, b. back away slowly and avoid eye contact, or c. snap a quick selfie with your new furry friend?
If you answered c, you're very wrong ... answer b is the correct option. Seems pretty obvious, right? Well, not for some people.
U.S. Forest Service officials in Lake Tahoe have issued a new warning against taking selifes with wild bears, because some park-goers are apparently so eager to capture a cool shot for social media that they're putting their lives in danger. Ground Zero for the bear selfie epidemic is the popular Taylor Creek Visitor Center in South Lake Tahoe, where loads of smartphone-wielding visitors—and hungry bears—gather each year in the fall for kokanee salmon spawning season.
"We've had mobs of people that are actually rushing toward the bears trying to get a 'selfie' photo," Lisa Herron, spokesperson for the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, told WFMY News 2.
The U.S. Forest Service has issued advisories warning people to keep their distance from the wild animals. Still, the problem is reportedly getting so bad that park officials are threatening to close down the area if people don't stop.
Herron said it's "very possible" the site will be closed.
"It is presenting a safety issue. We are afraid someone is going to get attacked," she said.
Meanwhile, this isn't the first time technology has posed a threat in nature. The National Park Service recently banned the use of personal drones throughout Yosemite National Park because of their possible interference with the animals there.
For more, check out our slideshow above of The Yosemite Drone Footage the Park Service Doesn't Want You to See.
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