A famend wildlife photographer who was fined for slowing site visitors to {photograph} a grizzly bear has claimed that preventing the ticket has price him $20,000.
On October 9, 2023, Tom Mangelson noticed an injured grizzly bear mendacity on the facet of Freeway 26 in Grand Teton Nationwide Park. He slowed right down to {photograph} the bear, generally known as grizzly bear #610, which had been struck by a automobile. Later that day, the bear recovered from its accidents, however Mangelson obtained a $150 high-quality for obstructing site visitors.
Mangelson has been disputing the high-quality, claiming that he was slowing down to guard the bear and her cubs, whereas the Nationwide Parks Service says he was working his automobile at such a sluggish pace as to intrude with the traditional stream of site visitors, in any other case generally known as making a “bear jam”, in line with reporting by WyoFile.
Although Mangelson’s attorneys argued in court docket final week that the physique cam footage offered by the NPS doesn’t in actual fact present Mangelson or his automobile, U.S. Justice of the Peace Decide Mark Carman issued a responsible verdict on Tuesday, writing that Mangelson had pushed previous the location on 4 separate events for the “particular objective of slowing the site visitors within the neighborhood of grizzly bear #610″
“He drove forwards and backwards previous the location at a really sluggish fee of pace and in doing so triggered different site visitors to sluggish behind him.”
Mangelson, who owns a gallery in Jackson, estimates he has spent about $20,000 defending his case and tells WyoFile on Wednesday that he’ll attraction his conviction after sentencing on June 27.
“I did precisely the appropriate factor an individual with widespread sense and a mind would do underneath the circumstances.”
Although drivers in Nationwide Parks are suggested to drive with warning to keep away from wildlife collisions, so-called “bear jams” are additionally a difficulty in wildlife areas, posing dangers for different street customers and doubtlessly habituating bears to the presence of people.
We not too long ago reported on a short lived lowered pace restrict imposed in Canada’s Yoho Nationwide Park that was supposed to guard a uncommon white bear and her cubs, nonetheless these bears had been later struck and killed by autos in separate incidents on the identical day.
This text by Julia Clarke was first printed by Advnture on 25 June 2024. Lead Picture: A choose discovered the photographer responsible of obstructing site visitors to {photograph} the injured bear (Picture credit score: Getty).
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