Unfortunately, it happens all too often. Curious elk, deer or other wildlife get a little too curious and a little too close to man-made items and they pay a price for it.
That’s what recently happened in Loveland, about 50 miles north of Denver. Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) got a call about a young bull elk tangled up in a tarp in a ditch on the west side of town. Not only was the tarp stuck in the ground and wrapped around the animal’s right antler but it was also draped around its nose.
A brief video posted on the CPW NE Region Twitter page highlighted the situation. Not only was the tarp wrapped around the elk’s head but when it tried to pull away, it would cinch up around its muzzle. And when it breathed, you could hear the animal blowing bubbles or possibly inhaling water with each breath.
Wildlife officers attached a knife to the end of a pole and cut the elk free. They captured another video of it trotting away to freedom.
(Photo credit: Colorado Parks and Wildlife)