The elusive elk was wandering in the hills near Pine Junction, Colorado for two years with a car-tire around its neck. It has since been released from the tire. Colorado Parks and Wildlife via AP
Officials from Colorado Wildlife said that a 600-pound elk had a flat tire for at least two years.
On Saturday, wildlife officers calmed the bull elk and removed the tire.
Dawson Swanson, a wildlife officer, stated that the bull elk had lost 35 pounds when the tire was removed.
Local Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials stated that a tire had been stuck around the neck for almost half its life.
The bull elk was just over four years old and had the tire around its neck for at most two years. Wildlife officers had to trim the antlers of the bull elk to get rid of the tire on Saturday night.
Scott Murdoch, wildlife officer, stated that it was difficult to remove the tire. It was difficult to remove it. We had to maneuver it perfectly to get it off, as we couldn't cut the steel in its bead. The bull's neck had some room for movement.
He said, referring to the elk mating season, that he would prefer to have the tire cut and the antlers left for him rutting activity. But the situation was dynamic.
Since May this year, wildlife officers tried four times to capture and tranquilize the bull elk. "Due to a variety of factors including the bull's condition related to therut, the tranquilizer efficacy was minimized," Dawson Swanson stated. He also said that the bull elk had lost 35 pounds since the tire was removed.
Murdoch stated that the tire was full dirt and pine needles. "The bottom half of the tire was filled with pine needles, dirt and other debris. The tire contained about 10 pounds of debris.
Murdoch stated that he was surprised at the few injuries sustained by the bull elk from the tire wrapped around its neck.
He said that the hair had been rubbed off slightly, and there was one tiny open wound about the size of a nickel, or quarter. But it looked great otherwise."
Insider has the original article.
