For The First Time In Two Years, An Elk Was Released While Wearing A Tire Around His Neck

An elk in Colorado has been wearing a physical weight around his neck for for two years. But, owing to some tenacious wildlife police, he is now free.

During a sheep census in the Mount Evans region in 2019, a wildlife official noticed a young bull elk with a hefty tire wrapped around his neck. He realized it would be tough to find the elk and much more difficult to remove the tire.

“The farther these elk get from people, the wilder they act,” stated wildlife officer Scott Murdoch in a news statement. “That has certainly been the case over the last few years.” This elk was tough to locate and much more difficult to approach.”

Last Saturday night, after years of attempting to remove the tire, the right chance presented itself.

“I was able to respond swiftly to a tip from a local homeowner on a recent sighting of this bull elk in their area,” said wildlife officer Dawson Swanson in a press statement. “I was able to track down the bull in issue, as well as a herd of roughly 40 other elk.”

Swanson was able to tranquilize the 600-pound elk after getting a clear shot at him. Murdoch came shortly after, eager to help with the tire removal.

“It was difficult to remove,” Murdoch said. “We had to move it just right to pull it off since we couldn’t cut the steel in the tire bead.”

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

Thanks to a few concerned human neighbors, the elk is now back with his herd and feeling better than ever.