Buzzing drone sparks elk stampede in US
Drones have had another problem added to their list of annoyances.
The latest issue involves a herd of 1500 elk frightened into a stampede in the United States, at a time of year when too much stress can be deadly for the animals.
This winter already is one for the record books in western Wyoming with more than twice as much snow as usual in many areas including at the National Elk Refuge in the scenic valley of Jackson Hole.
Typically the refuge provides a winter haven for elk. But on Monday, David Smart of Washington, DC, got a fined $US280 ($A364) for allegedly launching a drone and flying it over the top of hundreds of resting elk sparking a massive stampede.
Smart was trying to film the animals and while apologetic afterwards, wildlife managers take animal harassment seriously. The federal crime of which Smart was accused, disturbing wildlife, is punishable by an up to $US5,000 fine.
The deep snow is a bane for animals, including bison hit by vehicles as they sought easier walking along plowed roads.
Elk, moose, mule deer and antelope fatten up during green months so when winter hits they can subsist on less-nourishing forage often covered up by snow and ice.
"It's a crucial time of year for those animals and they don't need to be burning up additional energy stores unnecessarily," said Doug Brimeyer, deputy wildlife division chief at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
Wyoming has several laws and regulations against harassing wildlife, including one that prohibits antler collecting during winter and part of the spring. Bull elk drop their antlers during late winter and early spring and too many avid antler collectors scaring elk with their snowmobiles prompted that state regulation in 2009.
