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JASPER, Canada — A new video from Alberta shows the stunning power that is unleashed when bull elk battle.
According the video’s description, the footage was shot by British Columbia resident Stephen Dana over Labor Day weekend.
Throughout the summer, bull elk rarely fight. Their testosterone is used primarily for growing their antlers. But as the weather cools and their antlers harden, the dominant bulls and younger contenders prepare themselves for battle. These clashes are mainly used to claim mates and assert territory.
The two elk featured in the video appear to be fairly evenly matched. One report suggested that it was a 7x9 bull versus a 7x7 bull. The animals were in no rush to clash. They paraded for some time, sizing each other up like a pair of prizefighters and preparing for the inevitable.
When the bulls finally begin to charge and lock horns, it seems like one of them could easily sustain a puncture wound. Serious injuries can definitely happen during battles like the one shown. In rare cases, the combatants become permanently entangled, which sadly results in starvation.
But in the video shot by Dana, both bulls seem to leave the scrap with their health intact. The winner holds his head high, while the loser is left to sulk off. His pride may be hurt, but it’s likely that he’ll be back in the ring before too long.
