Elk NetworkElk Freed from Head Stuck in Cooler Lid

General | November 4, 2017

When elk wander into towns and neighborhoods, trouble may often follow. That’s what happened when a cow elk somehow got its head stuck in a giant cooler lid near Dosewallips State Park in western Washington.

Biologists from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife got the call and responded. They used radio telemetry to find the cow in a herd of 30 other elk. Since there was an object stuck on the animal’s head, they decided to sedate the elk for the sake of its safety.

After removing the lid, the cow awoke and joined its calf and the rest of the herd.

(Photo source: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife)