June 1, 2022 |
Bigfoot 99 received a photograph from a listener over the weekend depicting a calf elk hidden by its mother deep in sage brush outside Saratoga. Living in Wyoming, it’s not uncommon to chance upon similar scenes of newborn wildlife while hiking or exploring.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department urges people who come across young animals to leave them alone and keep your distance. Take your photograph and move along. Don’t linger.
Wildlife officials say mothers hide their young and then act as decoys to distract predators. Getting too close to young wildlife can be dangerous. A mother bear, bison, moose and even deer will display aggressive behavior when humans get close to their young.
State and federal laws forbid possession of game and many non-game animals, so adopting newborn wildlife is illegal, and subject of fines up to $1,000.
