Moose Walks By With A Tire Stuck In His Neck For 2 Years Begging For Someone To Help Him

A male elk in Colorado has been rescued from a tire that had been clinging to his neck for more than two years. This small mammal was released from the weight it was physically bearing thanks to some wildlife officials.

During a wildlife census in the Mount Evans Wilderness, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officers first observed the 4-year-old moose, which weighs around 600 pounds.

They attempted to catch the bull elk numerous times since then, but it always managed to elude the authorities. Wildlife officer Scott Murdoch had this to say about it:

“The more these moose travel away from people, the more wild they become.” In recent years, this has shown to be effective. This moose was difficult to locate and approach.”

After several years of searching for the small animal, the ideal chance arose, and they were able to capture it. Officers used a tranquilizer dart to subdue the moose and successfully removed the tire.

Some individuals reported sighting it around the Pine Junction region, which made this conceivable.

“I was able to respond swiftly to a tip from a local homeowner who said he had seen a male moose in his area recently. “I was able to find the bull in issue, as well as a herd of roughly 40 additional elk,” said Wildlife Officer Dawson Swanson.

Swanson fired the shot and was able to calm him down after removing the tire with Murdoch’s assistance.

“Removing the tire was a challenge. We couldn’t cut through the steel in the tire, so we had to move it correctly to get it out.”

Unfortunately, cops had to remove the moose’s antlers in order to remove the tire from his head because a steel band was stuck to the tire, preventing officers from cutting it.

Despite their fears that he had been injured, the moose was back on his feet in a matter of minutes. As Murdoch pointed out:

“We would have liked to cut the tire and leave the antlers for mating, but the situation was dire, and we had no choice except to remove the tire in whatever manner we could.”

Moose utilize their antlers during rutting to assert dominance over other males and so gain the privilege to mate with females.

Fortunately, male moose grow their antlers every year before mating season, so this moose will get another opportunity next year.

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

The moose may have been caught in the tire when it was young, before the antlers developed, or after they were shed over the winter.

Officials believe that between its antlers and the tire, which was full of pine needles and dirt, the moose dropped roughly 16 kg once it was removed.

Despite the fact that the moose had been carrying the tire around its neck for quite some time, they were shocked to find no severe damage when they removed it. Murdoch had this to say about it:

“His fur had torn a little, and there was a little open wound the size of a coin or a quarter, but he looked fantastic otherwise.” In fact, I was quite aback by how nice it looked.”