Wyoming’s Wild Critters Feeling Pressure From Wildlife Paparazzi

With cameras in smartphones, GoPros and on drones everywhere, it seems that Wyoming’s wildlife is effectively being adored to death.

“The wildlife is getting this exposure, or over-exposure, year-round,” Wyoming Game and Fish Lander Region information and education specialist Rene Schell told Cowboy State Daily.

At times, Wyoming’s famous grizzlies and other wild celebrities seem to have more paparazzi following them around than if they were walking down Hollywood Boulevard.

Just A Racing Heart Away From Death

During the COVID pandemic, people started escaping to the outdoors, including many out-of-staters who were drawn to Wyoming.

The trend has continued with no end in sight, Schell said.

And while it’s great to see more people enjoying wildlands and wildlife, the fact that everybody has a camera at their fingertips has resulted in ever-increasing pressure on wildlife. It also affects professional wildlife photographers who are impacted by regulations and public pressure caused by people trying to take selfies with bison and other irresponsible acts.

People can get competitive and let ethics go to the wayside as they compete for the perfect photo of a moose, bear or other Wyoming animal, Schell said.

Game and Fish has traditionally dealt mostly with hunters, but is now having more interaction with “non-consumptive users” such as casual wildlife shutterbugs, she said.

In general, Game and Fish doesn’t have a “hard and fast rule” regarding the wildlife photography ethics, she said.

But the agency advises people to keep their distance and otherwise avoid stressing animals, because it can kill them.

“Survival for wildlife is an energetic balance. They have to take in enough energy to reproduce and survive another day,” Schell said.

Even the smallest amount of stress is “removing that energy from their fuel tank,” she said.

Particularly in spring when animals are basically running on fumes after battling through winter, having an elevated heart rate for even a short time can make the difference between survival and death, Schell said.

When people commit egregious offences trying to get better animal photos or video, Game and Fish can step in.

For instance, chasing animals with drones or a vehicle amounts to wildlife harassment, she said. That’s a crime that carries a maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine and/or six months in jail.

The Owl Incident

Amateur wildlife photographer Pete Arnold of Cheyenne recently caught a photo of burring owls that blew up on social media.

He got it by putting a GoPro on a tripod next to the Owls’ den on the edge of Cheyenne, then setting the camera on time lapse to take photos about every 5 seconds.

When a photo of the GoPro sitting next to the Owls’ burrow was published in Cowboy State Daily, Game and Fish reached out to Arnold, worried that it would give others ideas.

Arnold told Cowboy State Daily that he explained to a Game and Fish biologist that the owls’ den was next to a church and a busy street. So, the owls were used to human activity.

Game and Fish agreed with Arnold’s assessment of that situation, according to emails that he shared with Cowboy State Daily.

GoPro cameras set on time lapse are a popular way to get wildlife photos, Schell said.

It’s safe for animals, if done correctly. She recommends that the cameras be camouflaged so as not to disturb animals or draw in predators.

Also, GoPro cameras should not be put in spots where they could impede wildlife access to their dens, food or water, Schell said.

Just Practice Common Sense

Wildlife photographer Mark Gocke agreed that bad behavior seems to be on the uptick.

“Basically, during just about any trip to Yellowstone or Grand Teton, you’re probably going to witness something that’s sketchy or not quite right,” he told Cowboy State Daily.

Gocke was a public information officer and wildlife photographer for Game and Fish. He now works for Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Good wildlife photography ethics is “pretty much common sense. Basically, you don’t want to do any harm to any animal,” he said.

Inside Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, the Park Service instructs people to stay at least 25 yards away from most wild animals, and at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves.

That’s a good general rule, Gocke said. However, animals, just like people, have varying comfort zones.

There might not be any visible signs that an animal is stressed by people being too close, he added. Even an animal with a racing heart might seem calm on the outside.

But an animal moving away, “even slowly,” is a dead giveaway that it’s time to back off, Gocke said.

Closer isn’t always better when it comes to wildlife photos, he said.

“It’s not that you always need that close-up image of an animal. I personally like images that show the animal in their habitat,” he said.

He also recommends “not spending too much time with an animal” and risking that it will get too accustomed to human presence.

AI Ruins The Craft

Veteran Wyoming wildlife photographer Jorn Vangoidtsenhoven told Cowboy State Daily that “ethical wildlife photography for me is not changing the animal's behavior.”

If people want to get serious about capturing images of Wyoming’s megafauna, they should invest in good equipment – including telephoto lenses.

“Due to the lack of zoom on small devices like phones and tablets, I do frequently see people get too close, making the animal change its behavior,” he said. “Whether that's due to increased competition, or stupidity, I'll leave in the middle.”

Artificial intelligence and other technology is also undercutting photography ethics, Vangoidtsenhoven said.

“I see social media posts, which are getting thousands of likes and shares, of clearly AI generated images,” he said.

AI is making it tougher for honest wildlife photographers to make a living, Vangoidtsenhoven said.

“AI is killing many photographer incomes,” he said. “I see more and more online articles accompanied by AI images, which used to be stock images and this someone's income.

“Especially in wildlife photography, AI should not be allowed and have a big disclaimer. To me, wildlife photography is like news photography – the image has to be real and very minimally edited.”

Contact Mark Heinz at mark@cowboystatedaily.com

Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.