Rutting Bull Elk Attacks Woman in Colorado

Here we go again. A group of people visiting Estes Park, Colorado, decided to get too close to a rutting bull elk, and you can guess what happened next. The bull charged, knocking a woman to the ground. It then proceeded to ram her with its antlers. This isn't the first time I've written about an elk attack in Estes Park. In 2017, an elk had to be shot after it attacked and injured two women who'd gotten too close to it.

Fortunately for the woman involved in the recent attack, a park employee was able to rush to her aid before the elk seriously injured her.

According to CBS4 Denver, Brian Berg, Estes Park's park supervisor, used his truck to separate the bull elk from the woman. Berg said he was heading to a meeting when he first noticed the bull charging the woman. He swerved through oncoming traffic to get to the visitor center parking lot, where the attack was taking place.

Karen Harrison, a visitor to Estes Park, a town just outside of Rocky Mountain National Park, filmed the attack from her vehicle.

I cut the video on. I knew (the bull) was mad, he was charging, Harrison said. Everybody ran off, and she was there by herself with this elk attacking her.

Harrison filmed as Berg hopped the curb and sped down the sidewalk toward the attack. The elk had pinned the woman against a rock on the ground and was repeatedly trying to gore her with its antlers.

When she got up, he went back at her, Berg said.

(The bull) flipped her, several times, Harrison said.

After Berg separated the elk from the woman, she was able to run to safety.

These are wild animals. They will do whatever they want, whenever they want.

I was able to drive and park right in front of the bull and the people. And, he just hit (my truck) as soon as I parked, Berg said. He shook that truck like it was nothing. He put a pretty good hole through it.

The woman, who was not seriously injured, was treated by medics, and a man was treated for injuries he sustained while fleeing the charging elk.

This time of the year, (this town) is the elks', Berg said.

He said visitors often approach the elk too closely, which is especially dangerous during the rut, when the bulls are aggressively defending harems of cows.

The bulls come down, and the people come following them, Berg said. These are wild animals. They will do whatever they want, whenever they want.

Berg said it unfortunately isn't uncommon for humans to get closer than 100 yards just to take pictures.

People get too close to the elk all the time. It is a very dangerous situation, he said.

Berg said he was just happy to be in the right place at the right time, and added that others may not be that fortunate.

Everyone gets lucky every once in a while, Berg said. I hope that everybody that sees the video learns to stay back. Way back. That's why we have zoom on our cameras.

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