When you’re in the Rocky Mountains, it’s a good idea to be on the lookout for wildlife. From bears to moose, plenty of animals could delay your commute. Recently, a video shared by Colorado Parks and Wildlife highlighted what appears to be an endless line of elk crossing a road.
Check out the video:
The video starts mid-crossing. We’re assuming the photographer took a second to grab their phone before filming.
What follows is dozens of elk sprinting across the road. After a few seconds, the herd finally dwindles, with one last animal coming across just a split second behind. CPW says it wasn’t an elk but a lone pronghorn following the herd.
Wildlife officials posted the video by joking, “Sure, some call Wednesdays hump day – but we like to call it HERD DAY.”
They say the video came from someone in the Creede, Colorado, a town deep into the mountains.
Elk predominantly live in the West, especially in regions like the Rocky Mountains. However, there are some surprisingly smaller populations in the East, such as Kentucky. The state made efforts to rebuild the population after the species saw a massive decline. They managed to do this with the help of other states donating elk to rebuild their population.
The National Park Service made similar efforts in Great Smoky Mountains National Park after overhunting eliminated elk from the area. Now, visitors to the park can enjoy seeing the elk fairly often.
NPS officials want to remind everyone to keep their distance while viewing elk, as they are very large creatures. Their website says, “Female elk with calves have charged people in defense of their offspring. Males (bulls) may perceive people as challengers to their domain and charge. The best way to avoid these hazards is to keep your distance.”
Have you ever seen an elk in the wild?
