Wild moment Rottweiler squares up to two male elk—”They’ll stomp his skull”
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Footage of the moment a dog was allowed to run toward a group of wild elk has left people stunned this week.
Filmed in 2021 by Canadian photographer Alec McGrath, he and his wife were in the Banff National Park in Alberta when the shocking moment left them concerned and angry.
In the video, McGrath shared the moment a dog owner let his Rottweiler off leash to run around among the elk.
As he drove past, McGrath confronted the owners and said: “Guys, put your dog back on the leash. That’s really dangerous, they’ll stomp his skull,” but the owner hit back and said: “Don’t worry he’s a boss.”
“They deal with wolves on a daily basis. They’ll kick your dog’s a**,” said McGrath.
But the owner didn’t agree and replied: “Don’t worry, don’t worry. He ain’t no Shih Tzu like your dog probably.”
@alec_mcgrath_of_canada/Instagram
Elk are a subspecies of red deer found in North America and high in the mountains of Central Asia. The powerful animals are known to become aggressive and even charge when they perceive a threat.
Off-leash dogs approaching elk out of curiosity can lead to dangerous situations, with the pup at risk of being kicked or trampled, resulting in serious injuries or even death.
In 2022, a 15-year-old dachshund died after being trampled by a deer in Utah.
“I’m very passionate about wildlife, and what they did was harassment,” McGrath told Newsweek. “I studied wildlife conservation, I educate the public as a river tour guide in Banff, and I continually practice my wildlife photography. But ultimately, when it comes to this situation, I’m a big fan of innocent dogs not getting stomped to death by a 500lb bull elk.”
After the filmed confrontation, he parked the car and snapped a picture of the dog owner’s license plate before contacting the Banff National Park Dispatch to get the warden involved.
“I love dogs. My German shepherd dog was just put down the month before the incident. I would do anything to get that friend back… And now, here I am witnessing someone actively putting their dog in a deadly situation just for fun,” said McGrath.
He said that at the time the park wardens asked questions about the incident and suggested they wanted to press charges, but he didn’t know whether they had caught up with the man and his dog.
Newsweek reached out to the Banff National Park Dispatch for information.
“These people don’t deserve to be in the national parks,” said McGrath. “In fact, I don’t even think they deserve to be out in public. Firstly, off leash dog in a national park is against the law. Secondly, you have harassment of wildlife, and lastly, animal endangerment and abuse. Charges must be laid if they haven’t already.”
The video was shared on the Instagram account @touronsofnationalparks earlier this week where it has been viewed over 1 million times. In more than 6,000 comments on Instagram, people were equally furious about the off-leash dog.
“Some people don’t deserve the loyalty of a dog,” said one commenter. While another wrote: “Some people lack so much common sense. I feel bad for their dog.”
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