• Outdoors Outdoors

Officials and climbers team up for dramatic rope-assisted elk rescue: 'Sometimes ... they will still be woozy on their feet'

"It's human nature to want to help wildlife, but it's important to remember wildlife aren't humans or pets."

"It's human nature to want to help wildlife, but it's important to remember wildlife aren't humans or pets."

Photo Credit: Colorado Parks and Wildlife

A group of ice climbers teamed up with Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials to save a bull elk tangled in a rope by the side of a cliff.

As reported by the Associated Press, the climbers reached out to park officials after spotting the distressed 700-pound elk at a popular Lake City climbing spot. 

A CPW biologist tranquilized the creature and protected its eyes for a safe rescue, but there was one more problem: The elk was near the top of a climbing wall. Fortunately, the climbers' expertise came in handy. They rigged a two-rope system to lower the elk to the route's base, with one rope supporting the elk's chest and another its antlers. 

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After the team successfully moved the elk to lower ground more than two hours later, CPW officials revived the creature, which scampered off 12 minutes after the tranquilizer reversal. 

"When we reverse that tranquilizer drug, it can take several minutes for the animal to regain full use of its body. Sometimes they will stand quickly but still be woozy on their feet, or sometimes it will take them a few attempts to get fully standing," CPW spokesperson John Livingston told the AP, adding that the 2.5-year-old elk had been entrapped overnight. 

He cited clotheslines, fencing, and hammocks as common hazards, highlighting the importance of monitoring outdoor equipment to ensure it hasn't become a snare. If it has, calling in professionals — as the ice climbers did — is the best first step in a rescue. They can offer guidance on which actions to take, if any, and limit the potential for deadly conflict. 

"It's human nature to want to help wildlife, but it's important to remember wildlife aren't humans or pets," Colorado Parks and Wildlife warns on its official website. "Handling or feeding wildlife can cause unintended danger."  

Putting trash and recycling in the appropriate bins and participating in community cleanup efforts can also help keep recreational areas pristine while protecting wildlife. According to the World Wildlife Fund, plastic pollution kills at least 100,000 marine mammals every year. And rescuers have also had to step in to save more than one land creature trapped by plastic waste

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