Tips on how to deal with the wildlife on Assateague Island

With summer right around the corner, more and more people are visiting Assateague Island. 

But it's not just visitors who are coming out to the national park, their wildlife is also making an appearance.

And Assateague Island has some tips for you on how to interact with their animals. 

Something to keep in mind, you are in their backyard, so make sure you don't invade their space. 

You should stay a bus length a way or about 40 feet. Another tip, do not feed the animals. 

Beyond that, you should be aware of your surroundings, so be careful while taking a picture.

The assistant public information officer, Kelly Taylor tells us, "We want to make sure it's a safe space between you and the animal. That way, the animals don't feel threatened because there is nothing worse than being charged with your back while you're trying to take this super cute picture and your back is to the animal and you're going to get plowed over or injured because you're not paying attention."

Another tip, make sure you know how to deal with turtles crossing the road. 

Never bring the turtle back the way it was coming from. We're told it’s going across the road to lay eggs or find a mate. 

Besides that, do not grab it by the tail. If you happen to pick one up, wash your hands right after because the turtles are carriers of salmonella.