DENVER (KDVR) — In the late summer, male elk and other animals display a shocking sight of blood on their antlers. While it may look painful and fairly grisly, it’s completely harmless and actually natural.
This process is known as bull elk shedding the velvet on their antlers, which begins after male elk are about a year old, then occurs annually beginning in August, according to the National Park Service.
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The park service said this healthy and painless process starts when antlers are growing on bull elk, which are protected by a soft, velvet covering. Once the antlers are fully developed, elk will remove them by rubbing them against objects like trees and brush.
Bridget O’Rourke, a statewide public information officer with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, said that it typically bleeds for a day or two and then heals over. While this is a natural and painless process, it can seem fairly gruesome…