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Add this to the long list of problems caused by buzzing drones: Frightening 1,500 elk into stampeding at a time of year when too much stress can be deadly for the animals.
This winter already is one for the books in western Wyoming. More than twice as much snowfall than usual has fallen in many areas, and more than 3 feet has accumulated at the National Elk Refuge in the scenic valley of Jackson Hole.
Typically the National Elk Refuge provides a winter haven for elk. But on Monday, David A. Smart, 45, of Washington, D.C., got a $280 ticket for allegedly launching a drone from a highway pullout and flying it over hundreds of elk resting there.
The device caused the elk to stampede half a mile through the snow. Smart was trying to film the animals and afterward was apologetic, refuge deputy manager Cris Dippel said Friday.
Nonetheless, wildlife managers take animal harassment seriously. The federal crime of which Smart was accused, disturbing wildlife, is punishable by an up to $5,000 fine.
Source: Popular Mechanics
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday February 27 2017, @02:53PM (1 child)
The first time I saw a LARGE herd of elk, they were grazing among a herd of deer. From a long way off, it looked like adults and new offspring, but it was definitely the wrong time of year for that. As I got closer to them, I realized it was two separate species. The thought that came to my mind was, it looked like a bunch of elementary school kids, playing among a bunch of professional football players. Elk are pretty awesome.
(Score: 1) by moondoctor on Monday February 27 2017, @04:03PM
>looked like a bunch of elementary school kids, playing among a bunch of professional football players
Fully... That power and grace bit isn't some poetic license. They know how to move.
One can only imagine what the real buffalo herds looked like (yeah, bison, sorry...) They say that one time Lewis and Clark got to a river crossing in the morning and were forced to wait while a herd of buffalo went first. It was a mile wide and took 8 hours to cross. I love visiting the bison range, but after hearing that, it just made it look kinda empty.