YOSEMITE, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – With summer here and thousands heading out to National Parks across the state of California, forest officials are warning visitors about what to do when they see wildlife at the parks.

National park officials say the three simple rules to remember are to give animals room, do not disturb them, and be responsible.

As tempting as capturing the perfect selfie with the park’s furry friends may be, park officials say to avoid selfies with wildlife and to use the zoom feature on cameras to capture a close photo. The best way to stay safe around wildlife is to give animals room to move.

Sharing is caring, but not when it comes to feeding wildlife. Officials say do not feed, touch, tease, frighten, or intentionally disturb wildlife.

This comes after two separate incidents at Yellowstone National Park happened earlier this week where officials say they were forced to put down a newborn bison calf after a man disturbed it.

The man was fined $500, ordered to make a $500 community service payment to a Yellowstone wildlife protection fund, and charged $40 in special assessment and processing fees.

Visitors at Yellowstone have previously interacted with bison and been injured severely, including at least three in May and June of 2022, according to the National Park Services.

Every park is unique and has specific guidelines, including minimum wildlife viewing distances and food storage requirements so officials recommend taking a few minutes to review the park’s rules before visiting.