A study just released by the U.S. National Park Service has found that while most aspects of life in our national parks are back to normal following the recent government shutdown one exception has been the effect on park wildlife, as many animals are now overweight as a result of nervous eating during the days the parks were closed.
“The uncertainty brought about by the shutdown caused general stress, relationship conflicts, and fears of unemployment among virtually all park animals, many of whom reacted, as we all often do in such situations, by overeating,” said Bob Payne, a quality of life activist for national park wildlife (except mosquitos).
Payne said that unhealthy calorie intake had been especially pronounced among the parks’ larger carnivores who, more as a distraction than because they were really hungry, routinely preyed on tourists who had entered the parks illegally.
“The French and the Germans were a particular problem,” said Payne. “It got so bad we had to run ads in the European press, warning visitors to our parks of the harm that an unnatural diet could cause the animals.”
Payne said the situation was slowly returning to normal, with many of the large carnivores now back to exercising portion control and eating only healthy snacks, primarily consisting of West Coast and Asian visitors.
“Thank goodness the government shutdown lasted only as long as it did,” Payne said. “Otherwise we would have had to start getting the park animals signed up so that they could take advantage of the Affordable Care Act. And the stress of that would have had its own health repercussions.”
When not working on behalf of national park animals travel humor writer Bob Payne is the editor in chief of BobCarriesOn.com, which has been sharing accurate travel news and advice since before Columbus landed at Plymouth Rock.
