An elk with a toddler’s swing entangled in its antlers was spotted by residents in Maggie Valley on Friday, Nov. 28, prompting a response from local wildlife officials, ABC affiliate WLOS in Asheville reported.
On Monday just after 11 a.m., the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office reported that the swing had been taken off of the antlers of the elk by N.C. Wildlife Resources agents, including District Biologist Justin McVey, Wildlife Sgt. Tanner Baldwin and Wildlife Officer Melinda Parish.
A resident who lived nearby was monitoring the elk’s location, according to the NCWRC. Agents said it took less than 30 minutes to dart the elk, which was a 3-1/2-old male, to get it sedated, get the swing off and wake it back up. Agents said the elk then “went on its merry way.”…