Elk on a shelf: Colorado wildlife officials rescue elk tangled in rope on ice climbing route Wildlife officials and several climbers rescued a bull elk by lowering it down a cliff after the animal became entangled in a rope at a popular ice climbing area in southwestern Colorado.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials said a group of ice climbers in Lake City encountered the distressed elk Friday morning, and a CPW biologist darted the ungulate with a tranquilizer and covered part of its head with a ski mask to protect its eyes during the rescue.
That's when the ice climbers who reported the stranded elk came to the rescue by helping state wildlife officers rig a system that used two ropes — one under its chest and another along its antlers — to lower it to the base of the route.
Once the elk was on more level ground, the CPW team reversed the effects of the tranquilizer, and about 12 minutes later the elk awoke and ran off down the snowy canyon.
Sometimes they will stand quickly but still be woozy on their feet, or sometimes it will take them a few attempts to get fully standing,” said John Livingston, a spokesman for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
