Oregon State Police have posted a video they say shows why you should stay away from wildlife that appears to be in distress, even if you mean well.
The video showed a large, 5-point Bull Elk caught in heavy wire around its rear legs and antlers near Mitchell, Oregon.
Senior Trooper Vaughn responded and got close to the animal, but it’s clear in the video that the Bull Elk was not in a mood to be approached.
“It does not appear that this Bull Elk was as appreciative of being rescued as we thought he would be,” OSP said on Facebook.
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The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife was called in to tranquilize the animal, but nobody was able to respond.
Vaughn and a Wheeler County sheriff’s deputy worked together to remove the wire from Bull Elk’s legs using bolt cutters, OSP said. A large amount of wire wrapped around the neck, head and antlers was also cut.
There was still a small amount of wire around the antlers when the animal was freed.
If you see wildlife in distress, you should not try to rescue it yourself. Call OSP at 800-442-0776 or *OSP from your mobile phone.
