Instagram account Tourons of National Parks (@touronsofnationalpark) showed why sea lions also deserve personal space and why you shouldn't try to feed wild animals.
In a video, a tourist can be seen losing their grip (actually their shoe) after getting too close to a seemingly docile animal.
One commenter said these tourists are "wanting to act like they're at [an] event at SeaWorld. These are wild animals, they're not trained animals."
In the video, a group of people lingers near a sea lion and several pelicans. One person dangled a fish near the sea lion's mouth as a woman in a black dress remained between the animal and its meal. As the video switched to slow motion, the agitated sea lion roared and startled the woman, who immediately stumbled and lost her sandals and sunglasses.
"Why are there always so many of these videos??!" wrote the OP.
Similarly, two sea lions on a San Diego beach were swarmed by tourists. Elsewhere in California, a couple posed for a selfie on a dock where a sea lion lay barely 10 feet away. Another San Diego sea lion charged at beachgoers in frustration after having little space to roam on a La Jolla Cove beach.
Sea lions, moose, elk, bears, or any distressed animals defending themselves after feeling threatened on their turf will be the ones punished, often by euthanasia. Euthanasia is often the final solution after aggressive behavioral changes over time if an animal associates people with food or their health deteriorates from a human diet.
Whether you see a sea lion in the water or on the beach, NOAA Fisheries advises everyone to stay at least 100 yards away. How can you tell if the animal is distressed? You'll notice the sea lion staring at you, fidgeting, or starting to flee.
A few were amused at "The pelican!" that quickly got hold of the shades when they fell off the woman's head. Hopefully, the bird didn't choke on the plastic, though, as that has been another major issue from too much human contact with wild animals.
Some have suffered injuries from entanglement or eating plastics they mistook for food. One poor gray seal pup that died from severe gastrointestinal issues also had plastic in its stomach — while the plastic wasn't the direct cause of death, it didn't help the animal's situation.
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Absolutely 👏 "Would you stand that close to a land lion?" asked one. The answer is likely no.
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