Viral video of squirrel drinking bottled water sparks warning from Grand Canyon officials

Officials from the National Park Service have a message for everyone who might have seen a recent viral video of a visitor giving a drink of water to a squirrel at the Grand Canyon.

The act shown on a Facebook video may be fun to watch, but officials warn that what the visitor did can actually create a troublesome life for wildlife and humans.

A June 6, 2018 Grand Canyon National Park Facebook post from the park explains:

"When a wild animal approaches you for food or water because it has become habituated, what do you do?

"It can be hard to resist helping what seems to be a helpless woodland creature, but remember that they can always find their own water and food- they're wild!

"Please practice being safe and keep our wildlife wild. Bites and injuries from animals like squirrels and elk occur when these wild animals get used to people food and develop aggressive behaviors."

For more information about living with Wildlife, visit www.azgfd.com.