Wildlife officials investigating after 8-year-old girl attacked by cow elk in Colorado

ESTES PARK, Colo. — A young girl is recovering after she was attacked Thursday afternoon by a cow elk in Estes Park, Colorado

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Colorado Parks and Wildlife said the 8-year-old’s family members reported that she was riding her bike in their neighborhood. At around 1 p.m. a female elk started to chase the girl from about 60 yards away, KUSA reported.

The elk stomped on the girl multiple times. She was taken to an area hospital and was able to leave later that day, the agency said.

An officer went out to the area from the attack and found a cow elk with a young calf, KUSA reported. The elk was acting aggressively. The officer used a non-lethal bean bag round and fired it at the elk hoping to stop the behavior.

The officer watched over the elk for multiple hours and went back on Friday.

The officer took the calf to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife lab on Friday to be taken care of by wildlife specialists and veterinarians.

“This is an unusual and unfortunate situation where a young girl was playing outside, far from the calf, and a cow elk became aggressive to protect her newborn,” said Jason Duetsch, Area Wildlife Manager for CPW. “While it is a natural reaction for cow elk to be very defensive during calving season, it is not often they hurt someone, especially a child. We’re happy the girl is recovering from her injuries and wish her continued healing.”

According to KDVR, wildlife officials said that elk calving season rungs from late spring through early summer in Colorado. It’s recommended to leave the young wildlife alone and keep pets on-leashes at all times.

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