U.S. officials warn the public to stop taking selfies with bears

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Cheryl Santa Maria

Digital Reporter

Tuesday, October 28, 2014, 6:44 PM -

The U.S. Forestry Service is warning members of the public to stop taking selfies with bears.

It may seem like common sense, but the warning comes after reports from staff at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center in California that guests are getting a little too close to wild animals to take pictures.

“Bears are unpredictable, wild animals and may attack if threatened,” forest Supervisor Nancy Gibson told local media.

The forest center says that if guests continue to take selfies with bears, they may have to shut the Taylor Creek Visitor Center down.

RELATED: A 'Global selfie' of planet Earth

This isn't the first time that selfies -- i.e., self-portraits usually taken with a smart phone device -- have showed up in the news.

In August, a photo attempt ended in tragedy when a couple fell to their death after trying to take a selfie while on a family vacation at the picturesque cliffs of Cabo de Roca in Portugal.

According to local investigators, the man and woman went beyond a barrier that prevents tourists from reaching the edge of the famed cliffs.

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