UPDATE, 11:30 a.m. -- Wildlife officials euthanize moose after determining its injuries too severe to survive.

WILDLIFE -- At 9:30 a.m. today wildlife managers were rushing to the scene of an injured moose on Northwest Boulevard near York Avenue. Not only are they dealing with an unpredictable animal, they're also dealing with clueless people trying to get close and take selfie-photos with the injured animal.

And we thought this sort of stupidness happened only among tourists in Yellowstone Park.

"Please help us get the word out that people need to back off and let us do our job," said Madonna Luers, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman.

Two moose were reported in the area last night, with people trying to get close for photos.  This morning, a yearling moose apparently was struck by a vehicle. Its leg is injured -- and people are still trying to compose the perfect photo with their selfish faces in the picture.

Wildlife officials are trying to assess the situation. They want to get the moose out of the neighborhoods and down to the river to see if it can be left to heal and survive or whether it will need to be euthanized, Luers said.

Aftermath notes:

• The meat from the euthanized moose cannot be salvaged because of federal rules for the drugs used to tranquilize the animal, wildlife officials say.
• People chasing the moose around last night to get photos very likely contributed to the young moose getting hit and injured by a motor vehicle, wildlife officials say.
• Adults with little kids were approaching the injured moose this morning to get photos of the kids with a sick moose in the background, wildlife officials say, noting that if they had been there to witness that activity they could have written tickets for animal harassment.
• And finally, Smartphones are a curse on wildlife, Rich Landers says.

Bottom line:  If you love wildlife, leave them alone.  Watch from a distance. Give them space.  If you're moving them, you're harassing them.