It’s not uncommon to see wildlife animals get stuck in hammocks, nets, clotheslines, baskets, swing sets, soccer goals, and even a tire.
Usually, these animals would come across these items out of curiosity and would get stuck.
One went viral.
For over two years, the officers from Colorado Parks and Wildlife have tried to track down and rescue an elk with a tire around its neck.
Last 2019, Jared Lamb, a wildlife officer, first spotted the elk as he was counting mountain goats and bighorn sheep.
He spotted it in the Mount Evans Wilderness.
There were many instances where they tried to catch the animal to remove the tire, but they failed.
According to CPW, the elk seemed young, around two years of age.
They concluded that the young elk had encountered the tire when it was really young and had it stuck on his neck. Over the years, his antlers grew, and it became impossible for the tire to be removed.
The poor elk needed help.
Sometime after, they spotted the elk in Jefferson County, just about 30 miles southwest of Denver.
Then, a year later, another trail camera picked it up but failed yet again. The elk just kept on disappearing.
On a Saturday night, Patrick Hemstreet reported a sighting of the elk with a tire on its neck.
Immediately, Dawson Swanson, a wildlife officer, responded.
He found the elk, at last, with a herd and successfully tranquilized it.
Another officer, Murdoch, came in to help.
It shocked them to see how much the elk had grown. It was now over four years old and weighed over 600 pounds.
The officers had to act fast.
Swanson and Murdoch tried to cut the tire, but after some time, they realized they had to free the elk another way.
There was no way they would cut the tire because the steel in the bead of the said tire was tough.
Removing the elk’s antlers was the only way.
“It was tight removing it…We had to just get the tire off in any way possible,” Murdoch explained.
After removing the tire, they realized how heavy it was.
It was full of pine needles, dirt, and other debris, according to CPW’s statement.
They were, however, relieved that there was only a minor wound on the elk’s neck.
The elk was unharmed.
After a few minutes, the elk gained consciousness, and after resting, it wandered off into the wilderness.
“The saga of the bull elk with a tire around its neck is over,” posted CPW NE on their Twitter last October 12, 2021.
They shared photos of their success.
Unfortunately, what they didn’t expect was that some people who saw their story got angry.
People were quick to judge by the method used to remove the tire from the elk’s neck.
Some say it was a form of cruelty, and that there was another way.
Soon, the news reached CPW, and they posted a comment, answering the allegations.
They provided more information concerning the events that transpired that night.
CPW explained that they tried but the Sawzall was slow to go thru the steel in the bead of the tire. Aside from that, they said that the animal was under anesthesia, and their time was limited.
It was also explained that the antlers will grow back the next year, and it was a safe procedure. Lastly, they even said that this will also reduce the chance of the bull getting harvested this year by hunters.
The elk was unharmed and was able to go back to the wilderness.
Check out the CPW’s statement here.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
The saga of the bull elk with a tire around its neck is over. Thanks to the residents just south of Pine Junction on CR 126 for reporting its location, wildlife officers were able to free it of that tire Saturday.
Story: https://t.co/WHfkfPuAck
📸’s courtesy of Pat Hemstreet pic.twitter.com/OcnceuZrpk
— CPW NE Region (@CPW_NE) October 11, 2021
