The children at Viewpoint Middle School in Lehi, Utah were surprised to discover a few uninvited guests had entered school grounds when a huge herd of elk made their way into an enclosed area and were unable to find their way out.
After about an hour of being trapped on campus, school staff stepped in and guided the elk herd towards an exit. The elk herd were filmed racing away from the school as they crossed a road and headed into an open field. The moment was filmed by Kacy Moller who provided a bit of commentary as the animals crossed in front of her vehicle.
No reports on if the school staffers were in touch with wildlife management officials before taking the situation into their own hands but as general rule of thumb people should always maintain a minimal distance of 25 yards away from elk (more during the rut). Learn more about elk conflict prevention from Wild Aware Utah below:
Wild Aware Utah Elk Conflict Prevention Guidelines:
Elk generally avoid humans, but may be aggressive toward people and dogs, especially during the rut. If you encounter an elk, stay calm.
- Give elk a lot of space — elk can move much faster than you can!
- Be aware of elk behavior. Agitated elk hold their heads high, lay their ears back and flare their nostrils, and sometimes stomp their front hooves.
- Do not feed elk at your home or cabin. Feeding elk is strongly discouraged due to public safety concerns, the spread of chronic wasting disease among deer, elk and moose, and potential harm to wildlife from introducing foods not in their diets, particularly during winter months.
- Slow down while driving through elk habitats, especially at dawn and dusk, and during the spring and winter months when they are migrating.
