Man who grabbed federally-protected wild horse’s face to pose for a selfie could face 6 months in jail

In another incredible example of people doing anything for a selfie, a man has been caught violently grabbing the face of a wild horse to pose for a photo at Mount Charleston in Nevada.

Earlier this week, I reported on a woman in Turks and Caicos who had to have both her hands amputated after attempting to take a close-up photo of a shark.

Now a Las Vegas-based photographer, who wished to remain anonymous, spotted the man earlier this week while out on a hike, and filmed his attempts to take a selfie with the wild horse.

“When it first happened, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh that guy is going to get hurt, and he is going to get kicked,’” she told Fox5, which released the video. “He is grabbing the horse by the face and the horse is obviously trying to resist and he is pulling his camera to take a picture.”

The video went viral on social media and the photographer explained, “Well if we’re being honest his whole reason to go out there and take the picture was because he wanted the picture, so I wanted to make sure he received the picture he was looking for to make him see what we saw, that wasn’t okay.

“You don’t handle a horse like that, he physically grabbed it trying to take a picture with him with at least five other cars yelling at him to get back in the car,” she said.

Last year a little girl was hospitalized after getting too close to one of the wild horses in the area.

Mount Charleston is home to many wild horses and burros, and it is illegal to touch or handle the federally-protected animals. The USDA is looking for the man and, if caught, he could face up to 6 months in jail or a hefty fine of $5,000 (approximately £3,900 / AU$7,800).

It would seem people will do anything in pursuit of wildlife photography. Last year, a photographer was fined for disturbing incredibly rare honey buzzards and their young.

Responsible wildlife photographers respect conservation laws and learn how to cause the minimum impact on their subjects, although sadly this isn’t always the case.

As the Natural History Museum, London, says:

“Be respectful of spaces. When photographing an animal, take the time to study it and its environment, so that you can make sure you capture your image without disturbing it or interfering with its home. Do not alter the habitat to create a better setting, for example by pruning back branches or moving logs or rocks around.”

If this hasn't put you off wildlife photography, why not check out our guides to the best cameras for wildlife photography, the best telephoto lenses, or play it safe with the best trail cameras.