A large bull elk had to be tranquilized in the Youbou area on Jan. 6 by conservation officers after it was spotted with a clothesline wrapped around its head.
Conservation officer Mark Kissinger responded to the call and was told by local residents that the elk is well known in the area and is affectionately called Bob.
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He said he found Bob with a plastic-covered metal clothesline around his neck and antlers, but it wasn’t impacting his ability to eat or hindering his movements.
“We tranquilized the elk, cut away the clothesline, and then gave him a reversal drug that helped him quickly recover from the tranquilizer,” Kissinger said.
“He was fine when he finally stood up and we’ve received reports that he is, once again, roaming around the area and eating the grass on people’s lawns with no after effects from the clothesline or the drugs.”
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Kissinger said Bob the elk is between six and eight years old and likely spends his summers at higher altitudes.
He said Bob has been visiting the Youbou area each winter after the rutting season for years to “regroup and recoup” and to find easy food.
“He comes here every winter and that’s why the local people know him so well and gave him a name,” Kissinger said.
robert.barron@cowichanvalleycitizen.com
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