A man was cited and fined this week when his drone spooked a herd of elk at the National Elk Refuge.
“About 1,500 elk bolted and ran after a man from Washington, D.C., launched a drone from a pullout along U.S. Highway 89 and flew it over the wintering herd. The elk scattered over more than a half mile, according to a press release.
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officer ticketed the pilot for disturbance of wildlife.
Human disturbance can stress wildlife and make it more difficult for animals to survive the long winter, Deputy Refuge Manager Cris Dippel said in the release,” stated the Casper Star Tribune.