grizzly bear
Ray Blanchard/CBC News

And June's Moron of the Month Award Goes To...

Because getting a cell phone pic of a grizzly bear from ten feet away is a smart move, right?!

We've highlighted a wide range of morons over the last little while here at Wide Open Spaces, from the guy who thought it'd be cool to wrestle an 11-point buck to the fella who figured he'd get his kicks from dressing up in a T-Rex costume to play paddy-cake with a full grown alligator.

The majority of morons we feature have one thing in common: they love to get up close and personal with wild animals. Our June nominee is no exception.

Ray Blanchard, a wildlife photographer/filmmaker and frequent visitor to Banff National Park, located in Alberta, Canada, was capturing footage of a grizzly bear June 25 when he watched the 'unbelievable' unfold right before his eyes. A man, with only a cell phone, strode right up to the bear - stopping only ten feet from it - in order to take a few snapshots.

Blanchard, who was safely set up some 230 feet away, said a group of 20 to 30 folk had stopped to watch the bear feed on dandelions in a ditch. It appears, however, that the guy with the long hair and cell phone is the only one who brazenly approached it, seemingly unaware of how dangerous a situation he put himself in. Moron? We'd say so.

Here's a picture Blanchard took of that bear, estimated to weigh 300 pounds:

Ray Blanchard/CBC News

Parks Canada advises photographers to keep a distance of 330 feet from bears, and only last month launched a new awareness program - with signs posted throughout the park.

Bears, especially those with cubs, can be unpredictable, and there's no way you're outrunning one of these predators if they decide to charge. Sadly, just last week we featured the story of an Alaskan teen who was mauled to death while running an annual trail race. (You can read that story HERE.)

So please do us a favor: next time you're out in nature, don't be like this guy.

Did you enjoy this post? CLICK HERE to view more articles by Justin Hoffman. You can also check out his Photography Site Justin Hoffman Outdoors, as well as follow him on Facebook Justin Hoffman Outdoors, Instagram hoffmanoutdoors, Twitter @HoffmanOutdoors, or subscribe to his YouTube channel Justin Hoffman.

NEXT: AND THE MORON OF THE MONTH AWARD GOES TO...

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