All articles tagged with #park service
Bears chased and bit visitors on two popular Smokies trails over the weekend, prompting closures of Ramsey Cascades Trail and Abrams Falls Trail while rangers monitor activity; officials remind hikers to give bears space, store food securely, and stay vigilant on trails to prevent dangerous encounters.
A tarantula crossing the road in Death Valley National Park caused a traffic accident when a couple from Switzerland abruptly stopped their rented camper van to avoid hitting it, resulting in a 24-year-old motorcyclist from Canada crashing into the back of the van. The motorcyclist was taken to the hospital, and the tarantula walked away unharmed. The park service reminds drivers to be cautious and drive slowly, as the roads still have gravel patches due to flood damage and wildlife is active in the area. Tarantulas are slow-moving and nonaggressive, with a bite similar to a bee sting that is not deadly to humans.