How do rangers handle wildlife encounters with visitors?

Park rangers are responsible for ensuring both visitor safety and the well-being of wildlife within the parks. When faced with wildlife encounters, rangers provide guidelines and educate visitors on how to behave around animals. This includes maintaining a safe distance to reduce stress on the wildlife and to avoid potential hazards for the visitors themselves. By establishing rules for safe interactions, rangers help minimize conflicts between humans and animals, fostering a respectful relationship with nature. This proactive approach aligns with conservation principles, as it protects both wildlife and the park environment, promoting safety for everyone involved.

The other options do not align as closely with best practices in wildlife management. For instance, removing wildlife can disrupt local ecosystems; encouraging feeding alters natural animal behavior, which can lead to dependency on human food sources; and limiting access, while sometimes necessary, is not a routine response to wildlife encounters.