Elk Gets Tangled in Ice-Climbing Gear, Needs Rescue in Colorado

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“What happened when a bull elk tried to go ice climbing? A classic CPW wildlife rescue, of course,” writes Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) in an X post. An “epic” rescue from last week in Lake City, Colorado was unlike anything we’ve ever seen. An elk became tangled in some ice-climbing gear and needed a unique rescue.

CPW says a couple of ice climbers noticed the entangled bull elk. It had gotten mixed up with a climbing rope near one of the ice walls, so some wildlife officials came to the rescue. The team darted the elk and then cut the rope away from the elk’s antlers, but there was still the problem of the elk being up on the climbing wall.

“The climbers who notified [CPW] of the situation helped us rig up the elk to safely belay him down to the base of the wall,” the organization says. Then, officials reversed the tranquilizer, and the bull ran off, free once again.

See CPW’s series of posts on X showing how its team rescued a bull elk tangled in ice-climbing gear:

Ice climbers in Lake City noticed a bull elk entangled in a climbing rope near one of the ice walls. Our Lake City wildlife officer, Lucas Martin, received a call about the elk, recruited some backup and deployed to the scene. pic.twitter.com/cewc5vMCEv

— CPW SW Region (@CPW_SW) January 6, 2025

The CPW team cut the rope away from the elk’s antlers but needed a way to get the bull down from the climbing wall. The climbers who notified us of the situation helped us rig up the elk to safely belay him down to the base of the wall. pic.twitter.com/lQNwY2jq5h

— CPW SW Region (@CPW_SW) January 6, 2025

Luckily, the story had a happy ending. Thanks to the climbers (Chris, Chris and Becky!) who called to report this and Lake City sheriff Denim Starnes for their assistance.

It serves as a reminder of the many various tangle hazards wildlife can get caught in. pic.twitter.com/5Z61odlRSW

— CPW SW Region (@CPW_SW) January 6, 2025