Colorado officers release elk from tire after over 2 years

WASHINGTON

State officials in Colorado successfully released a 600-pound (272 kilograms) elk that had a tire wrapped around its neck for more than two years.

The animal was first noticed by a Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officer in 2019 during a population survey of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and mountain goats in an area about 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of Denver, according to a CPW statement released Monday. The bull then appeared to be 2-years-old.

A small number of other sightings have been documented in the years since.

Starting last week, officers attempted to tranquilize the elk three times before success on a fourth attempt. Officer Dawson Swanson fired the successful shot Saturday shortly before 8 p.m. local time.

“I am just grateful to be able to work in a community that values our state’s wildlife resource,” said Swanson. “I was able to quickly respond to a report from a local resident regarding a recent sighting of this bull elk in their neighborhood. I was able to locate the bull in question along with a herd of about 40 other elk.”

To remove the tire, Swanson and Scott Murdoch had to cut the elk's antlers, and Murdoch said the men would have "preferred to cut the tire and leave the antlers for his rutting activity, but the situation was dynamic and we had to just get the tire off in any way possible."

A rut is used to refer to an animal's mating season.

The tire was filled with about 10 pounds (5 kilograms) of debris, including pine needles and dirt that filled its entire bottom half, according to CPW.

The elk awoke from sedation minutes after the officers administered a tranquilizer reversal.