Nature Rules: Keep Wildlife Wild

Don’t Feed Wildlife. Human food is junk food to animals, causing them to lose their foraging instincts and become aggressive toward tourists. Their lives depend on a natural diet.

Slow & Steady Saves Lives. Drive at or below posted speed limits and be aware that wildlife often use roadways, too, especially at dusk and dawn. A sad fact is that over 400 bears have been hit by cars in Yosemite National Park since 1995.  Be Bear Aware and report hit animals here.

Go The Distance. Always watch wildlife from an impactful, non-threatening distance and use binoculars whenever possible. Getting too close scares animals from their natural habitat, preventing them from eating and tending their young. Pro tip: being quiet on the trail in addition to keeping your distance translates to more sightings!

Low Barb Diet. Fishing in Yosemite is highly regulated in order to preserve the native and non-native trout populations. Use barbless hooks for catch-and-release, then take a selfie with your big catch to shore up the fish stories back home.

Let Babies Be. Though it raises alarms to see a baby animal all by itself, there is often a mother nearby. A doe and her fawn is case in point. Never touch or move a baby animal — even if you think it’s hurt — rather note your location and contact a ranger if you have concerns.