As Grand Canyon National Park visitation enters its peak season, park rangers are reminding the public of the dangers of a too-close encounter with one of the park's animals.
In fact, the park said in a news release this month, Canyon rangers have had to respond to several recent interactions between humans and animals. One of those interactions resulted in "serious, but not life-threatening" injuries to a visitor, the park said.
Park officials noted that the national park lacks fences to separate people from wildlife. On the South Rim, that often means close encounters with elk, which are drawn by the presence of food and water. In spring and summer, female elk can become protective of their calves, while male elk are aggressive during the fall breeding season, the park said.
Other animals, including squirrels and ravens, can also pose a threat when they approach people in search of food. Occasionally, visitors' hands are bitten by these animals.
The park offered the following guidelines for dealing with wildlife at the Canyon:
The park asked anyone who sees an animal acting aggressively toward people, or people approaching or harassing wildlife, to report the incident to the park's communications center by calling 928-638-7805 (or dialing 911 while in the park).
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