Nature can be cruel, and as the following footage highlights, sometimes the simplest of tasks can have unforeseen and deadly consequences. David Cross had the perfect vantage point to film a parade of elk crossing the road in front of him. It looked like 26 cow elk safely made the leap over a wire fence. But when a bull elk approaches at full steam, a costly misstep finds him face-first on the ground and struggling for life.
Watch the video below:
The way in which the elk fell caused it suffer an unnatural, landing that's as awkward as you'll ever see. With how heavy an elk is, particularly one as impressive as the bull we see here, having all of the body weight thrown right on the neck undoubtedly can be fatal, which is exactly what we see here. It doesn't take long for the animal to pass either, as it suffers for less than a minute on the ground before finally giving out.
That theory was echoed in the video description, as Cross wrote, "This amazing bull elk - 6x7 - tripped on a fence, planted its brow tines into the ground, flipped over, and embedded its antlers into the ground. It struggled to get free, and I could not free it. It broke its neck, and died within a few minutes of falling. It's amazing that I saw it happen, but even more remarkable that I caught it on video."
As easy as it is to feel an immediate sense of responsibility for an accident like this, they're largely inevitable and out of our control. Animals suffer from accidental injuries just as humans do, but it definitely hurts a little more when it's such an impressive bull. There is one silver lining here, which entirely depends on whether that property owner knows how to clean an elk. What a truly sad outcome for such a majestic animal!
