Maggie Valley Elk Gets Help After Becoming Tangled In A Toddler Swing
On November 28, Maggie Valley residents spotted an elk with a toddler’s swing stuck in its antlers. Today, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission went out to help—here’s what you need to know.
On November 28, residents in Maggie Valley became concerned for the safety of an elk when they saw that it had a toddler’s swing tangled in its antlers. The situation was reported to the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.
Two days later, on November 30, the sheriff’s office released an update on social media, along with a photo of the elk. The post read, “We are aware of the elk with a swing tangled in his antlers. Our team has been in contact with N.C. Wildlife, and with the assistance of wildlife officers and an N.C. Wildlife biologist, they are working on a plan to safely help this elk in the morning. At this time, wildlife officials believe there is no immediate harm to the elk. Thank you to our caring community for reaching out with your concerns.”
A representative from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission then contacted News 13 today, December 1, to let the station know that local wildlife agents were traveling to the area to carefully remove the swing from the elk’s antlers. The news station initially received a video on Friday via their Chime In feature showing the elk in question. The viewer who submitted the video said that she had spoken with officials about her concerns.
Thankfully, the situation has been safely resolved, as the N.C. Wildlife agents reported a successful removal of the swing this morning.
The swing was removed safely
News 13 reported that around 11 a.m. today, a group of North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission agents successfully untangled the swing from the elk’s antlers. Assisting in the safe removal were Wildlife Officer Melinda Parish, District Biologist Justin McVey, and Wildlife Sgt. Tanner Baldwin. A nearby resident monitored the elk’s location for the agents so they’d be able to find it with relative ease.
Once they arrived, the agents sedated the elk via dart to keep it calm, removed the swing that had become tangled in its antlers, and then woke the elk back up before it “went on its merry way.” The process took about half an hour from start to finish. The agents reported that the swing was “really old” and “looked like it was about to fall off of it from being so worn,” which may have contributed to it getting wrapped on the elk’s antlers to begin with.
How to help if you see an elk in distress
If you witness an elk in distress—whether that’s because it has something tangled in its antlers or it appears to be injured—you’re encouraged to report it to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission through its Law Enforcement branch by calling 800-662-7137 or emailing HWI@ncwildlife.gov.
For additional tips on how to help distressed wildlife or report any concerns, click here.
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