2 Wyoming bull elk, locked in battle, get help from humans

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Two bull elk fighting for herd dominance in southern Wyoming got more than they bargained for when their antlers became entwined.

Thanks to two humans, the animals are free to fight another day.

Game warden Kim Olson said Friday she got a Sept. 5 call about the elk on a desert ridge. Olson shot video of biologist Patrick Burke shooting the exhausted elk with tranquilizers.

They then sawed off some of both elks’ antlers to free the pair.

They marked each elk with a red X and ear tags to alert hunters about the tranquilizer, which can take several weeks to purge from an elk’s system.

Male elk are known to be aggressive during mating season in the Rocky Mountain region, head-butting cars and chasing people who get too close.