Park rangers and town officials have been trying to educate onlookers for decades to stay at least 75 feet away from elk, but teaching naive viewers to keep their distance has been a challenge, especially in autumn when thousands of tourists pour into the area to witness the fall rut, attend the annual Estes Elk Fest, or photograph the dramatic fall colors. Signage and printed handouts at strategic locations constantly caution visitors to maintain a safe distance from all wildlife, and elk in particular, but the warnings are often ignored or dismissed during the excitement of seeing the animals up close.
Ironically, it might just be an actual bull elk — or rather a larger-than-life-size bronze statue of one — that becomes the most effective tool in educating the public about safe wildlife behavior.
Kahuna was an enormous bull elk who dominated the Moraine Park section of Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) each fall. Experts estimated he weighed 1,100 pounds and believe he was the fifth-largest elk in North America. His massive, basket-shaped antlers featured freakishly long third tines that curved noticeably inward, creating an unmistakable profile that earned him recognition worldwide…