Rescue crew saves elk tangled in climbing rope

LAKE CITY, Colo. (KKTV/Gray News) - Rescue crews helped an elk found tangled in climbing rope near an ice wall in Colorado.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers said they received a call from ice climbers in Lake City who found a bull elk tangled in rope on Friday.

Parks and Wildlife said officer Lucas Martin, seasonal technician Paul Rivera, biologist Alyssa Meier and elk survival technician Anna Markey went to the scene to help.

Meier tranquilized the elk for its safety and for the safety of the wildlife officers. They then got to work on cutting the rope away from the elk’s antlers.

Parks and Wildlife said the climbers who made the original call assisted officers in rigging up the elk to safely bring him down to the base of the wall.

Officers said once the elk was free from the rope and safely at the base of the canyon, they reversed the tranquilizer. Within about 12 minutes, the elk awoke and ran off down the canyon.

“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,“ Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials said. ”It serves as a reminder of the many various tangle hazards wildlife can get caught in.”

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