Mama and baby elk spotted 2 feet from busy Colorado trail. See adorable video
A mama elk side-eyed some hikers after they got a little too close to where she had parked her calf — a couple feet away from a busy Colorado trail, video shows.
The mama elk then led her tiny, wobbly calf away from the hikers and off into the wilderness, the video shows.
“Cuteness alert: Keep Your Distance from Baby Animals,” the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said in a June 23 post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “We get it. Baby animals are adorable. But here’s the thing: even if you spot a wobbly-legged elk calf parked just two feet off a busy trail, as we did at South Valley Park, resist the urge to play hero (or wildlife paparazzi).
“Elk mommas (cows) sometimes pick questionable parking spots for their calves, which means you might find one close to trails or even busy roads,” officials said in the post.
Lots of animals will tuck their young away while they venture off to graze or hunt, McClatchy News previously reported. So if you encounter a baby animal that looks abandoned, it’s best to leave it be until mom returns.
“Our Animal Control Officers recently had to temporarily close a trail and redirect hikers while mom made a dramatic comeback and moved her little one to a safer location,” officials said.
To avoid accidentally separating baby animals from their moms, officials recommended the following:
“Be aware of your surroundings
Always leash your dog (your pup’s ‘curiosity’ is not appreciated by local wildlife)
If you spot a baby deer or elk, don’t touch or move it
Keep your distance
Let rangers or animal control know so we can call in Colorado Parks and Wildlife, if needed.”
The sheriff’s office shared more tips from its web page about wildlife.
“Thanks for helping us keep the wild in wildlife in Jeffco,” officials said on X. “Baby elk send their silent thanks (and maybe a little side-eye).”
South Valley Park is about a 25-mile drive southwest from Denver.
