A tourist captured a video of a man getting pummeled to the ground by an elk at Yellowstone National Park.
In the 44-second YouTube video posted by KBZK Bozeman MT News, two elk appear to face off.
"They're going to fight," a bystander whispers.
Midway through, an elk screams and approaches the crowd of onlookers, grunts, and then charges into a man in a green jacket, knocking him to the ground.
"That guy got nailed," Boyce Schall, the tourist who recorded the video, said following the impact. The man didn't appear seriously injured.
The video serves as a stark reminder of the importance of respecting wildlife boundaries. Encounters like these not only endanger humans but can also have tragic consequences for animals. Wildlife agencies often have to euthanize animals that injure people, regardless of whether the incident was provoked.
Elk, in particular, play a significant role in maintaining ecosystems. They maintain vegetation, enrich the soil with their droppings, and sustain populations of predators like wolves, bears, and mountain lions, ensuring habitual harmony.
It's unclear what viewers thought of the video because the comments were disabled, but similar videos have drawn widespread criticism of human interference. Earlier this year, a Yellowstone National Park tourist posted a video of an elk popping a car tire with its antlers after a man appeared to block the animal's path. The viral Instagram video was bombarded with comments mocking the driver's behavior.
"Now he's stuck in the middle of nowhere because he wanted to be a tough guy," one user commented, along with a string of cry-laughing emojis.
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"You should've just driven by him, but no, you wanna play games," said another.
Park rules require maintaining a safe distance from animals near trails, boardwalks, parking lots, or other developed areas, KPAX reported. Bystanders should keep at least 25 yards away from large animals such as bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose, and coyotes and at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves. If necessary, change direction to avoid getting too close to wildlife.
By respecting wild animals in their natural habitats, humans and wildlife can coexist more harmoniously.
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