As humans becomes more technologically advanced, they seem to have forgotten a lot of common sense about nature. (Or maybe just common sense in general.) We may shape the land in a major way, but animals large and small still make their home among us, and they deserve our respect.
Nowhere is this more obvious than in this clip of a man in Colorado who thinks that a good move when finding an Elk blocking his footpath is to throw a cup of coffee at him.
Spoiler: Big mistake. Huge.
The video, apparently taken in Evergreen Colorado, appears to show a man getting into a bit of a scuffle with a large elk buck on a sidewalk abutting a park or field. In trying to get the elk to move out of the way, he tossed some coffee at him. This was widely considered a dumb move.
Related: Elk Take Over Neighborhood Lawns in Colorado and It’s a Sight To Behold
As the Accuweather Twitter/X account noted when sharing the clip, “A man in Evergreen, Colorado, was late for work and threw Starbucks at an elk standing on the sidewalk.” The account continued: “Do not be like this man. Leave wildlife alone.”
“I’m trying to get to work,” the man says, turning around to present his argument to someone else, off-camera. This also may not have been the wisest choice, as the now-angry buck takes this opportunity to charge at the man, antlers lowered for a fight. The man manages to scamper away just in time.
Bottom line: bull elk are not little woodland creatures. They do not “shoo.”
“Do not antagonize the megafauna,” advises someone in the comments, and their feeling is indicative of the general attitude.
Keeping Your Distance from Wild Animals
If the wild animals you’re used to seeing are the tiny, harmless squirrels or pigeons of an urban landscape, you may be forgiven for not taking the threat of large wildlife seriously. But big or small, these creatures are not to be trifled with. The bottom line is that if an elk is standing in your way, you go around. Don’t antagonize it.
The National Park Service advises folks to use a “rule of thumb” when it comes to keeping safe distance from wild animals. This is how it works. Hold your arm out straight in front of you, thumb outstretched. If you can cover your view of the whole animal with your thumb, you’re far enough away. Otherwise—step back.
This guy was way too close.
The “Elk Rut”
Though it’s always a good idea to keep your distance from wild animals, it’s especially useful to stay away from elk bucks in Colorado right now. That is because it’s rutting season.
The elk rut is a mating season among elk that occurs around mid Sept through October of the year, in which elk are looking for sexual partners, and male elk, in particular, can become particularly aggressive as they fight with other males to protect their herd or establish dominance.
You do not want to be on the wrong end of that interaction.
“I was at this lake yesterday,” says one person in the replies. “Can confirm, elk everywhere and signs warning of the aggression from bulls in rut. This dude is not bright.”
We hope he got away safely.
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