Denver park closes over risk to visitors trying to take #bearselfies

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/sep/16/denver-park-closes-risk-selfies-with-bears

Version 0 of 1.

A recreation and hiking area in Denver has been closed to the public after one too many hikers tried to take the perfect selfie with a bear.

The park, Waterton Canyon, which sees more than 100,000 visitors a year, initially closed on 28 August “due to increased bear activity in the canyon”, according to the initial news release. A biker was chased by a bear in the canyon but was not injured. According to Melanie Kaknes, Colorado parks and wildlife district manager, the decision to close the popular park “was made to reduce the likelihood of a negative encounter from occurring”.

A Denver Water blogpost on 4 September revealed that bears might not be the problem, but rather park visitors hoping for a few more Instagram or Facebook likes.

“We’ve actually seen people using selfie sticks to try and get as close to the bears as possible, sometimes within 10 feet of wild bears,” Brandon Ransom, Denver Water’s manager of recreation, said in the blogpost. “The current situation is not conducive for the safety of our visitors or the well-being of the wildlife.”

The canyon is currently home to two mother bears, each with twin cubs, and other bears searching for food, according to the news release. Ransom said the park was closed “based on the recommendation of wildlife experts” for both “the safety of the public and well-being of the wildlife”.

“At this time we are continuing to monitor the bear activity with Colorado Parks and Wildlife,” Travis Thompson, senior media coordinator for Denver Water, said in an emailed statement. “Once the activity subsides, we’ll make an announcement on reopening the canyon.”

But the popularity of the hashtag #bearselfie reveals visitors at Waterton Canyon are not the only hikers eager to snap a picture with these potentially dangerous animals.