Spooked elk die after jumping over highway wall

An incident in Provo Canyon on Sunday night killed six elk and now has wildlife managers issuing a warning tonight for drivers.

The elk became trapped on a new section of highway in Provo Canyon where the southbound lanes are elevated about 50 feet above the northbound lanes. Several drivers slowed down and were allowing the elk to get to an area where they could get off the road, but one driver who was impatient spooked six of the elk and they jumped over the edge.

"The elk only needed another minute or two at the most to get down where they could cross safely, and so [we're] very upset. It was an emotional night for a lot of people, and they were quite upset with that driver," said Ryan Karren, with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

There where about 10 to 15 elk total on the road Sunday night. The six that jumped all died when they landed in the northbound lanes of traffic. Fortunately, no vehicles were struck by the elk or hit their carcasses on the highway.

With so much snowfall in recent days, wildlife are being pushed down to lower elevations in search of food and often times are attracted to roadsides because snowplows expose grass. In fact, we found a herd of elk this afternoon within a half-mile of the highway in Wasatch County.

Wildlife managers warn that dawn and dusk are when the animals are most likely to be near the roads. "If individuals do come in contact with wildlife on the highway, just give them their space. If animals don't want to move, let the authorities know -- the sheriff's office or DWR -- and we'll make sure we get them moved safely so none gets hurt," Karren said.

While deer are more common to be on roadways, the consequences of hitting an elk or a moose are much more serious.

Officers do know who the driver was who spooked the elk, and the Wasatch County Attorney's office will review the case for possible charges, such as wildlife harassment.

E-mail: spenrod@ksl.com

Related topics