Posted on 11/17/2013 11:53:55 PM PST by Daffynition
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) - The young elk featured in a viral online video playfully head-butting a photographer has been euthanized after authorities at the Great Smokies National Park determined he was a safety threat.
The Asheville Citizen-Times reported Friday that the elk was euthanized in the wake of the Oct. 20 YouTube video, which has been viewed more than a million times and featured on national news shows. The video shows the elk head-butting James York, who was sitting along a trail taking photographs. York was not injured.
(Excerpt) Read more at waff.com ...
I hope the photographer is happy now.
The elk was just playing nice. If he was mad, he’d be beating the jerk on the head with his front hoofs. Maybe it was breeding season and the guy smelled like a girl elk..sad that they killed it. Hope the meat went someplace that serve meals to the poor...still, shouldn’t have killed it..idiots
** Vince M. Camiolo says he is “saddened by the fate of the elk,” and said he was told the decision to euthanize the elk was “based on a pattern of aggressive behavior that began priot to the incident” documented on the video.**
The deer at Yosemite are like that too ...used to their *hand-outs*.
Did you see the end of the long-long vid....the bull picks up the camera gear. Weird behavior.
The prospect of mating drives males to do stupid things. It’s a universal rule in the animal kingdom.
The elk could have been frightened away by the cars at anytime. If the guy was in danger, it was because he brought it upon himself. Why kill the elk?
The rut will be starting soon [’round here at least]...expecting more car v deer episodes.
Why kill the elk? takes to long to kill the dumbass that caused the problem
I do not recall ever encountering an Elk in the Smokies.
I have, however, encountered many of bears on hikes and along the roads.
I think the elk were “reintroduced” to Cataloochie Valley fairly recently. I don’t think the elk are widespread throughout the Smokies.
“I think the elk were “reintroduced” to Cataloochie Valley fairly recently.”
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Yes, I looked it up...”Reintroduced”, as last seen in the 1700s, haha.
This is a pretty good explanation:
http://www.romanticasheville.com/elk.htm
I have very fond memories of the Smokies, having vacationed there from the early 50s, and thru my years at UT/Knoxville in the early 60s.
I don’t necessarily blame the photographer for this. AFAIK, he wasn’t feeding the elk and he didn’t approach the elk, the elk came up to him while he was sitting on the ground on the side of the road taking pictures.
According to the article and from others I read, the elk in the video had been doing this to other people and prior to this video, “the difficult decision to put the elk to death was made after efforts to keep it away from people failed. She said visitors have been feeding some of the elks, causing the wild animals to lose their fear of humans.”
I do however question why he didn’t get up and make a loud noise and wave his arms in the air or why his friend didn’t blow the vehicle horn and drive up closer so his friend could get in and scare the animal away earlier. Perhaps he thought that doing so would make the elk really angry? That by being passive, that the elk would lose interest and leave on his own?
The elk could have easily gored him or slashed him with his hooves but didn’t, he seemed to be “playing” or perhaps was hoping for a food handout at least for a while, but when the elk started getting more aggressive, they were easily able to get it to back off, something IMO they should have done to begin with. But the photographer didn’t cause this behavior, the people who have been feeding the elk did. Feeding wild animals, especially up close and personal is never a good idea, for the people or for the animals.
My daughter jogs down her driveway every day, its about a third of a mile from the rural road and through a hard wood forest. Her one dog, a big standard poodle would run in front of her. The drive way is just 2 ruts with a lot of turns in it..
One time she heard Stupy let out a yelp and come running back to her (and behind her he stopped) around one of the curves came a doe running full tilt and not slowing down..she yelled at it and lifted her arms up, it kept coming until it was about 15 feet from her, snorted and turned and walked back down the drive...Stupy had a large lump on her head, the deer got her once and was trying to get to her back. They took a drive down to the road but found out that the doe had dropped a young one just barely off the road....A month later, Stupy couldn't get up and she carried her down stairs. This was a dog that weighted over 80 pounds. Before she was able to get her down the steps, she died.....No health problems and she doesn't believe me but I think when that doe got her on the top of her head, it caused a small bleed or hematoma that finally got large enough to paralyze her and cause her quick death... But that is just my opinion. Bambi's mother is a killer for those that only know Walt Disney deer...LOL Her area is losey with deer. One of my grandsons has taken 2. His first year with a gun, the second one with a bow and arrow before he even graduated from high school.
Her son fills up 2 liter bottles with water and from over 200 feet can hit them all. When filled with water you know if you hit it or not. If the SHTF they can all feed themselves. This year up where they camp, they did not see even one deer, but without snow you usually don't. Mid Michigan and no snow. But a couple of years back my son saw his first cougar walking in front of his car as he was heading into town on a beer run. It padded in front of him for about 50 feet and wandered off into the brush...could also be a reason for less deer in that area....After writting all of this I am exhaused. Time for bed..
They should have euthanized the photographer and the idiots responsible for this decision. It is all about ‘kill’ with the left...
The photographer is lucky as hell he didn’t get one of those antlers through his carotid.
People truly are idiots. This is Exhibit A of that.
Marriage comes to mind......LOL!
The prospect of mating drives males to do stupid things. It’s a universal rule in the animal kingdom.
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LOL... Been there myself in my younger years!
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