Getting too close to wildlife is always a bad idea, but doing so during mating season can be downright dangerous. A new viral video of a woman's tense standoff with a massive bull elk in Colorado is a perfect, nerve-wracking example of why respecting an animal's space is so important.
The video, shared by the popular Instagram account Tourons of National Parks (@touronsofnationalparks), shows a woman wandering far too close to a bull elk. The elk, clearly agitated, begins to stalk her, lowering its head and making several aggressive charges. She eventually manages to get away by keeping an obstacle between herself and the agitated animal.
What the woman in the video likely didn't realize is that she was visiting during the elk's mating season, known as "the rut." According to the Vail Daily, this period, which typically runs from early September to mid-October, is when bull elk are highly aggressive, territorial, and unpredictable. They often see humans as a threat or a challenge.
This kind of dangerous encounter is unfortunately not an isolated incident. In Canada's Banff National Park, tourists have been filmed antagonizing an elk while walking their dog. A similar incident in a Colorado parking lot showed a crowd of people getting dangerously near an elk. These situations are risky for everyone involved, including the animals.
An animal that injures a human, whether provoked or not, may be euthanized by wildlife officials. Another video of an enormous elk wandering across a road as a reckless couple got way too close to get pictures shows why the best thing to do is give them plenty of space and let them move on peacefully.
The video drew strong reactions from viewers on Instagram, with many commenting on the woman's dangerous behavior.
"Humans shouldn't be in the park, during rutting season," one Instagram user wrote.
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"I heard if you scratch a bull elk behind its ear during the rut, it'll become your friend," another commented sarcastically.
A third added, "Yea, just turn your back to it and walk away."
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