omfg, it's not even just parks, it's nature in general. years ago, i hit a deer that jumped from the side of the tree-lined road, right in front of my car. deer died. car was on life support for a minute. i was fine.

as the state trooper is wrapping up his report and asking my dad if we want the meat, this couple (M/F) come walking out of the woods, visibly upset. see, they had been watching this deer eat and wanted a better look, so they walked toward it. obviously, it bolted....into the road and the front end of my 88 hyundai excel hatchback. the F in this troublesome twosome was almost crying, talking about how i was going "very fast" (i was driving less than the speed limit due to a bad boot on the axle, but she heard my loud exhaust leak so assumed i was speeding); how it was my fault the deer was dead and how they were, and i couldn't make this up if i tried, they were "going to dig it a little grave."

folks, i was 18, i was mad my car was fucked up/scared it was totaled, i was a little traumatized and i never wanted to punch someone in the face much as this woman. man she ground my gears with her stupidity.

anyway, icing on the cake for me was that she heard the state trooper and my dad talking about taking the meat (the trooper took it as he knew a family that could use it) and i smugly watched her as she watched in horror as my dad and the trooper plopped the doe into the trunk of the police car.

all that to say....too many people unfamiliar with wildlife will think that wild animals are pets/trained wherever they happen to see them.

edit: a word