Alberta Fish and Wildlife help free a bull elk that was stuck in several hundred feed of telecommunication cable. Photo Credit: Alberta Fish and Wildlife

By Shane Clausing

elk rescue

Grande Prairie Fish and Wildlife help free elk stuck in hundreds of feet of wire

Sep 11, 2020 | 2:22 PM

Alberta Fish and Wildlife have had to rescue a bull elk that was stuck in several hundred feet of wire in a field near Grande Prairie.

In a Facebook post, Alberta Fish and Wildlife said that on September 7, its officers received a report of a bull elk with a very long cord wrapped around its antlers.

Officers arrived on the scene shortly after the report, where they did in fact witness a bull elk bucking and trying to shake off a strong telecommunications cable in a wheat field.

The officers then developed a plan on the spot to use a tranquilizer gun on the elk so they can remove the cable from its antlers, but the elk was far away and needed to be brought closer to the officer safely.

Alberta Fish and Wildlife say that the officer onsite then used a combination of rodeo roping and deep-sea fishing techniques while using the cable to control and reel the elk out of the wheat field.

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Once the elk was in range, officers were able to tranquilize the animal and remove the cable from its antlers.

The cables were safely removed however, the officer also remove the elk’s antlers.

This was done so it could not be harvested, allowing the immobilizing drugs to leave its system. Immobilizing the elk means the animal is marked with a tag, which advises hunters that the meat of the animal should not be consumed.

In the same Facebook post. Alberta Fish and Wildlife says the elk was released safely and was last seen heading south.

Alberta Fish and Wildlife wants to remind people that if you see an animal in distress, to call the nearest Fish and Wildlife office.