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With their magnificent antlers and bugling calls, bull elk are at their most impressive during the rutting season, so it may be tempting to get close for a better look at them, but as these tourists learned, it's much safer to give them space and watch from a safe distance. A video shared this week via Instagram account shows a large group of people who have gathered to watch a group of elk at the roadside. One has stopped their truck in the middle of the road, causing traffic to back up, while others have left their vehicles for a better view.

As you can see in the clip, which is embedded below, one particular bull elk reacts to this intrusion by charging the stopped truck, sending those on foot sprinting back to the safety of their cars. Elk generally prefer to avoid close encounters with people, but males (bulls) are more likely to show aggression during the rut in the fall, while females (cows) are prone to charging when protecting their young calves in the spring. Usually elk will begin with a bluff charge intended to drive the potential threat away, but they are powerful animals and can cause serious injuries if they knock a person down.



Last month, people in Estes Park, Colorado (a town famous for its elk population) were warned to take care after several elk attacks were reported within a week. In one incident, after accidentally getting too close to a pair of elk calves that were hidden near a playground. A family member scared the animal away and the child was taken.

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