Conservation officers rescue elk tangled in wire fence near Naramata

PENTICTON – Penticton Conservation officers successfully rescued an elk after it's antlers became entwined in wire fencing last week.

B.C. Conservation officer Mike Stern says they responded to a Naramata acreage on Thursday, Jan. 5, after reports of an elk stuck in a section of deer fence.

Stern says the five-point bull elk had wire fencing wrapped around its antlers. The animal was tranquillized and extricated from the fence.

The elk was then tagged and given a reversal drug, after which it regained consciousness and left the scene on its own, he says.

Stern says elk are quite common in the Naramata and Campbell Mountain areas, often coming down in to the valley in the winter where they can sometimes cause problems in vineyards.

“A herd of 50 can cause a lot of damage,” he says.

Stern advises property owners to ensure their fences are well maintained.

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