National Park Service Temporarily Ordered To Stop Tweeting: Reactions From Wildlife
After retweeting a photo that unfavorably compared the attendance of Donald Trump’s inauguration with Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration, the National Park Service was instructed by the new administration to stop using Twitter, much to the alarm of animals that inhabit the parks.
Brook Trout, Acadia National Park
“Surely this could have been handled by an internal e-mail that merely instructed the NPS to take down the offending tweet. Instead, a foreboding message was sent: you will be silenced. I’m under no illusions that what happened at an agency’s social media account could, in time, happen in this very stream.”
Rock Squirrel, Zion National Park
“This may just seem like a tiny moment in the larger unfurling of Trump’s autocracy, but for those of us who live in the parks — who mate there, who forage for stems there — it is a chilling reminder that no habitat is beyond the reach of a determined despot.”
Grizzly Bear, Glacier National Park
“I feel bad for the NPS social media manager and all, but these days I’m really just focused on not ending up in Eric Trump’s trophy room. I will definitely throw myself off a waterfall before I let that happen.”
American Alligator, Everglades National Park
“This was a real wake-up call for me. I think we all drift into complacency. We all get so caught up with hunting muskrat and sunning ourselves on logs that we forget that what happens in Washington affects us all, maybe now more than ever.”
Brazilian Free-Tailed Bat, Carlsbad Caverns National Park
“I fully understand that the Tweet didn’t paint Trump in the most flattering light, but the man’s obsession with his image, his almost diseased attention to appearances, will be the undoing of us all. I’m eight years old now, and I have to admit I’m pretty happy I typically don’t live more than another three.”
Peregrine Falcon, Yosemite National Park
“I’m a Trump falcon. I like that he’s shaking things up and stuff.”
Bighorn Sheep, Yellowstone National Park
“The word ‘fascist’ keeps circulating within my flock, but I’m not quite ready to commit to it yet — it’s a term that even Orwell himself didn’t have the most firm handle on. Still, it’s worrisome. I would like to call my representative, but, as you can imagine, there’s a fair amount standing between me and that happening.”
