A man was running late for work in Evergreen, Colorado when an elk took to standing on the sidewalk he needed to travel upon.
What happened next was captured on video, and has gone viral after being shared by AccuWeather on their official TikTok account. The man proceeded to throw his Starbucks drink at the elk, after the large animal began to take steps in his direction. Many commenters expressed frustration with the gentleman, as the elk was certainly doing little more than living his life as a wild animal. Moreover, the AccuWeather account itself said in the caption that wildlife should be "left alone." Likewise, the caption urged viewers to "not be like this man."
The original video was apparently posted on Instagram to an account that reportedly belongs to the handle @kaizen_raal, before being amplified by AccuWeather on TikTok. The AccuWeather post itself, which was shared just last week, has garnered over 27 thousand views. With so many eyes on the incident, plenty of discourse has been sparked online. Notably, one commenter on the AccuWeather post said that the scene was a display of "pathetic ignorance."
@accuweather A man in Evergreen, Colorado, was late for work and threw Starbucks at an elk standing on the sidewalk. Do not be like this man. Leave wildlife alone. ?: Instagram/@kaizen_raaal #elk #bullelk #wildlife #wildlifeoftiktok #evergreenco #colorado #evergreencolorado #elkoftiktok #accuweather
Colorado Man Captured On Video Throwing Coffee At Large Elk
Elk are very large critters, and the man in the video was taken aback as the critter stepped toward him. The problem started though, with the antagonization of the animal. The elk, like all other wild animals, is not interested in the work schedules of nearby humans. The man, who was assumed to be running late, was aggressive in his approach of the animal. Shouting at the elk and blaming the critter for the unfortunate circumstances helped nobody. In response, the elk turned and marched in the direction of the antagonizer.
If the antagonization wasn't enough, the throwing of coffee was a step even further over the line. The entire interaction was disappointing. Each fall, as elk become more active during their breeding season, such interactions between the public and elk happen. It is important that humans remember the animals are not pets. They act differently than dogs, because they are wild to their core. They should be treated with respect, and given their space, regardless of work schedules.
