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8-year-old girl attacked by an elk while cycling

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An 8-year-old girl was riding her bike in a neighborhood in Estes Park, Colorado on Thursday afternoon when an elk chased her, attacked her and trampled on her several times.

The girl, who was at a safe distance, was about 180 feet from the moose when it attacked around 1 p.m., Colorado Parks and Wildlife reported Friday. Experts recommend staying at least 75 feet away from the moose, MyColoradoParks.com and Lost Outfitters report.

The girl was taken to a nearby hospital where she was treated and released later that day.

“This is an unusual and unfortunate situation: a young girl was playing outside, far away from her calf, and a female elk became aggressive to protect her newborn,” said Jason Duetsch, Area Wildlife Manager at CPW.

“Although it is a natural reaction for elk to be very defensive during calving season, it is not often that they injure someone, especially a child. We are glad that the girl is recovering from her injuries and wish her continued speedy recovery.”

A game warden was dispatched to the scene where he found the elk and her young calf. When the elk became aggressive toward the officer, the officer frightened the officer by firing a non-lethal beanbag projectile at the animal. The aggressive behavior subsequently subsided, but the officer remained on scene for several hours.

The next day, the officer in charge returned to the scene, picked up the newborn calf and brought it to the CPW Health Lab.

Kara Van Hoose, a spokeswoman for CPW, told 9 News that the health lab requested the calf so they could care for it and study it to better understand the species.

The elk was not euthanized, Van Hoose told 9 News.

More from CDW:

Officials will intimidate the elk living in the area if necessary to prevent interactions with neighbors. Signs have been posted in the area warning of aggressive behavior by the elk. Pets should be kept on a leash at all times to avoid conflict with the elk.

Late spring to early summer is considered calving season for Colorado’s elk population. During this time, cow elk may show aggression toward people and domestic animals to protect their calves from perceived threats. Conflicts between male and female moose are common when they have young nearby, and conflict increases until their young can stand and move on their own. Always leave young wildlife alone, especially during calving season. It is not uncommon to find calves and fawns alone, as the mother may temporarily leave the calf to find food.

Photos courtesy of Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Wikimedia Commons.

The story originally appeared on For The Win

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