I’m sure that in some instances, having tourists pay to view and photograph wildlife is a good idea.But not always. In Great Britain, hordes of photographers and nature lovers are ruining the red deer mating season.

After the British Broadcasting Corporation aired the stags’ antler-locking battles as part of its “Autumwatch” program, thousands of folks converged on the New Forest, one of the few areas in England where it’s possible to view the animals.

The people did what most amateurs do around wildlife — they tried to get too close. When they did, they spooked the deer and “ruined the mood,” so to speak.

Forest officials, worried that the crowds might ruin the animals’ ability to reproduce, started handing out pamphlets warning visitors to stay at least 100 yards away.

Actions, no matter how well-intentioned, sometimes have unexpected consequences.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 10:45 am and is filed under Nature, Wildlife. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.