Forest Service Bear selfies - The U.S. Forest Service has officially condemned the growing trend of "bear selfies." The organization warned tourists that the newest social media frenzy is dangerous and potentially fatal.

According to reports, some people who have visited the popular Taylor Creek Visitor Center in South Lake Tahoe have taken pictures with wild bears lurking in the background.

Officials in charge of the lake have warned that while bears are docile, they can become very dangerous when they feel they are threatened.

Visitors, especially teens, have been warned that taking bear selfies is neither a safe nor a smart way to interact with the animals.

"Visitor Center staff routinely encounter unsafe situations as guests ignore their instructions and get too close to bears to take photos and videos," Lake Tahoe Officials said.

The California creek, which attracts bears to its annual run of Kokanee salmon, has also began attracting teens with smartphones interested in taking 'bear selfies.'

Lisa Herron, the spokesperson for Lake Tahoe Management unit, said in a statement that visitors were putting themselves in harms' way by violating the recommended safety instructions.

Herron said people are being warned that bear attacks can be fatal and that "they need to stay on the trails and they need to stay away from bears."

According to reports, the teens are running up to the animals to take quick bear selfies before dashing away. Heron stressed that contrary to popular opinion "if a bear has a mind to, it can run very fast."

"We've had mobs of people that are actually rushing toward the bears trying to get a "selfie photo," Herron said.

Officials are worried that the bear selfie trend is a threatening safety issue. "We are afraid someone is going to get attacked," Herron warned.

The bear selfie phenomenon is apparently spreading to other parts of the state. The U.S. Forest Service has also warned people to desist from parking their cars along California State Route 89 to take bear selfies.

Forest service bear selfies