Commonsense dictates that touching wildlife in our National Parks is not a good idea and it is indeed prohibited but nevertheless its has become incumbent on park rangers to constantly remind tourists to keep their hands to themselves.
The park rangers of Badlands National Park decided to get proactive about dissuading the behavior and chose a musical approach to illustrate their point. Enjoy this video featuring MC Hammer’s 1990 smash hit “Can’t Touch This” featured on his third album “Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em” highlighting things visitors should not touch while exploring the rugged beauty of the park’s 244,000 acres. This includes rattlesnake, fossils, prairie dogs and cacti. STOP, Ranger time!
BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK:
A brief (but non-exhaustive) list of things you CAN’T touch in Badlands National Park:
-Rattlesnakes? …Why? Just, why??
-Fossils? Please don’t touch; please DO leave, take photos, and report!
-Bighorn Sheep? Um, definitely not. Do you see those horns?
-Prairie Dogs? Are you trying to get the plague?
-Bison? DON’T PET THE FLUFFY COWS
-Cacti? Sharp! No touchy.
As far as National Park rules go, Badlands is pretty relaxed. Here are some things you CAN touch at Badlands:
-Rocks? Go ahead! Just don’t move or take them home. You can even climb on the rocks if you want! But keep in mind, gravity still works here.
-Off-trail areas? Hike away! Badlands is an open hike park – you can walk anywhere you want. Just keep your car parked in a designated parking lot or pull off and make sure you can get back to your car (we don’t want to have to come rescue you).
-Grass? Absolutely, go touch some grass! Just don’t pick any.
-Flowers? Same deal – nice for smelling, not so nice for taking home.
-Gift shop items? Of course! These should be the only souvenirs you’re taking from Badlands anyway.
