He was completely stuck 😰
Earlier this month, three ice climbers were enjoying a day outdoors when they spotted an elk with its antlers completely tangled in a climbing rope.
The more the elk tried to move its head to free itself, the more the rope twisted around its antlers. Stuck on a steep, icy slope, the elk couldn’t escape on its own. Since the climbers first noticed the elk in the morning, it was likely the animal had been stuck there overnight, so they knew they had to act fast.
The climbers called the authorities, and by 9 a.m., a team from Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), including Lucas Martin, Alyssa Meier, Paul Rivera, and Anna Markey, arrived on the scene.
The CPW team carefully assessed the situation. They determined that the elk was about two years old and weighed roughly 700 pounds, though full-grown elk bulls can weigh up to 1,100 pounds. Considering the elk’s size and the stress he was under, the team decided it was safest for both the animal and the rescuers to temporarily sedate him. Once he was tranquilized, they were able to cut the ropes from his antlers.
However, the elk wasn’t out of danger yet. Still stuck on the slope, the CPW team, along with the climbers, used their expertise to figure out how to lower the elk to safety.
“What’s cool is that the ice climbers used their knowledge of ropes, pulley systems, and anchors to assist our team,” John Livingston, CPW’s Southwest Region public information officer, shared.
The climbers’ patience and compassion were crucial to the success of the rescue. Although they had first noticed the elk around 7 a.m., it wasn’t until 11 a.m. that the animal was freed.
“We’re really thankful that they were so concerned for the well-being of the elk and were willing to delay their climbing plans to help,” Livingston said. “They made sure the animal was safely removed.”
Four hours after the ice climbers spotted the elk, he was finally safe. Once the effects of the tranquilizer wore off, it took only a few minutes for the elk to regain consciousness before he ran off into the woods.