An 8-year-old girl was attacked by a cow elk while riding her bike in an Estes Park neighborhood Thursday afternoon, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials.
The girl was riding her bike around 1 p.m. Thursday when a female elk approximately 60 yards away charged at her and stomped her multiple times, state officials said in a news release Friday.
She was taken to a hospital for treatment and released later on Thursday.
A wildlife officer later found a cow elk and young calf in the area, and the elk became aggressive toward the officer, according to CPW.
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The officer hazed the elk by filing a bean-bag round, and the elk stopped being aggressive. State officials returned to the area Friday and transported the calf to a state wildlife lab for care, and wildlife officers will continue to haze cow elk in the area as needed to discourage them from interacting with humans, agency officials said.
Officers also put up signs warning about aggressive elk behavior.
While it’s natural for a cow elk to be defensive during calving season, it’s not usual for them to hurt people, particularly a child, CPW Area Wildlife Manager Jason Duetsch said in a statement.
“We’re happy the girl is recovering from her injuries and wish her continued healing,” Duetsch said.