Boy, 4, stomped by aggressive elk following second attack in Colorado town in less than a week
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is now urging Estes Park residents and visitors to be aware of their surroundings. Signs warning of aggressive cow elk have now been placed around town.
FILE – Bull elk rams vehicle in Canadian national park
Video shot on Sept. 22 shows a male elk ramming its horns into a vehicle in Jasper National Park in southwestern Alberta, Canada. (Courtesy: @Johnkramplphotography via Storyful)
ESTES PARK, Colo. – A 4-year-old Colorado boy was injured when he was stomped on by an aggressive cow elk while on a playground, adding to a series of similar attacks in less than a week.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is now urging Estes Park residents and visitors to be aware of their surroundings. Signs warning of aggressive cow elk have now been placed around town.
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Signs warning of aggressive cow elk have been placed in Estes Park.
(Colorado Parks and Wildlife)
The latest attack occurred near Stanley Park at about 1:30 p.m. Monday when the cow elk unexpectedly charged and stomped on him multiple times. Wildlife officials said families using the playground were unaware that two elk calves were hidden nearby in a rock area.
A family member told park rangers they scared the cow elk off the boy and took him to a hospital, where he was treated and released later that evening.
When a park ranger officer responded to the scene, they found multiple cow elk in the area. The officer hazed the elk using non-lethal bean bag rounds to encourage the elk to leave the park. The elk then moved to another location.
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FILE – Elk rings doorbell in Colorado
An unusual visitor rang the doorbell of a home in Estes Park, Colorado.
On May 30, an 8-year-old Estes Park girl was attacked by a female elk while riding her bike in a neighborhood. She was taken to the hospital for treatment and released the same day.
"This is an unusual and unfortunate situation where a young girl was playing outside, far from the calf, and a cow elk became aggressive to protect her newborn," said Jason Duetsch, area wildlife manager for CPW. "While it is a natural reaction for cow elk to be very defensive during calving season, it is not often they hurt someone, especially a child. We’re happy the girl is recovering from her injuries and wish her continued healing."
While newborn calves are immobile, cow elk can become aggressive towards perceived threats, wildlife officials said.
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FILE – A cow elk peers over a ridge in a subdivision along Fish Creek Road in Estes Park.
(Jon Hatch/Digital First Media/Boulder Daily Camera / Getty Images)
"People are encouraged to be aware while recreating outdoors that calves could be hidden nearby," the agency said. "Cow elk can charge from many yards away."
Key advice shared by wildlife conservationists is to refrain from disturbing young wildlife, regardless of whether they seem alone, as the mother is likely nearby searching for food.
Editor's note: A previous version of this story featured a photo of a moose that was incorrectly captioned as a cow elk.