A young bull elk entangled in a rope swing reclaimed his freedom thanks to the quick but careful action from caring deputies with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department in Washington.
When the deputies responded to a call about an injured animal, they found the panicked elk trying to free his antlers from the ropes of a swing attached to a tree. Instead of killing the elk, they decided to free the elk using the tools they had on hand.
Body camera footage shows one deputy slowly approaching and speaking to the elk in a soft voice while keeping the tree between himself and the elk. Using a pair of long-handled pruners, the deputy clipped the first rope with no issues.
But during the attempt to snip the second rope, the elk charged the deputy, who quickly retreated. Even after the scare, the rescue efforts continued.
The deputies attached a blade to a rake so they could saw through the remaining rake while maintaining a safe distance from the wild animal, Fox News reported. With the final rope detached, the elk bounded off into the surrounding woods.
Lady Freethinker applauds these two brave deputies for choosing compassion and saving this defenseless elk’s life!
We’d like to remind our readers to never approach or interact with a wild animal. If you see a wild animal in distress, please first call a certified wildlife rehabilitation organization or another authority to minimize potential harm to the animal.
If you want to take action for other elk today, please sign our petition for rare Tule elk in the Point Reyes National Seashore!
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