Rock Squirrels Are The Most Dangerous Wild Animals At The Grand Canyon, And They Hate Selfies
The Grand Canyon National Park is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the United States, and is considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The desert canyon contains several long pathways for hikers, two of which form a continuous 15 mile long trail. As you can probably guess, visiting the Grand Canyon can be dangerous, and many tourists have sustained injuries while visiting the national park. It may come as a shock to learn that the region’s wildlife pose the biggest threat of injury to Grand Canyon visitors. Coyotes, foxes, bats, and mountain lions are all dangerous animals that Grand Canyon tourists may encounter. However, the most dangerous wild animal that dwells in the Grand Canyon region happens to be the rock squirrel. Also, rodents and other wild animals in the Grand Canyon area can spread infectious diseases such as Hantavirus, rabies, and plague. In fact, all three of these diseases have been found in the region’s wildlife in recent years. Squirrels have become the most dangerous animals at the Grand Canyon partly as a result of the many attacks that tourists have suffered while attempting to take selfies with the nut-eating rodents. Selfie-related squirrel attacks have become so common at the Grand Canyon that park rangers have begun warning tourists about the dangers associated with “squirrel selfies.”
Red rock squirrels attack more tourists at the Grand Canyon than any other wild animal. Feeding squirrels and even holding a hand out to one will likely result in a bite, but it is turning one’s back on a squirrel for a perfect selfie that is causing a surge in rock squirrel attacks in the park. Rock squirrels are also one of the only wild animals in the region that maintain a constant presence around the park’s gift shop, snack shops and welcome center, making dangerous encounters with these squirrels more likely, especially near the snack shop. The park has launched the #FindYourDistance and #SafeSelfie campaign in order to increase awareness concerning the dangers of posing for selfies with the park’s wildlife.
Would you be willing to take an African safari in spite of the risk of being attacked by wildlife?
