CALGARY- Despite intense rescue efforts, eight elk have died after falling through some ice in Banff.
On Saturday, two of the animals were trying to cross the three-inch thick ice over the Bow River, where it runs through the townsite, when they crashed through into the frigid water.
Parks Canada wildlife officers and water rescue specialists tried desperately to save them.
“The elk didn’t have enough strength to stand up on the ice, so myself and one another individual were reaching down into the water right up to our armpits and trying to grab a leg,” remembers resource conservation specialist Blair Fyten. “That first pair was a cow and a calf, and obviously a little easier to get the calf up on shore. And once we got her up on shore they were still lying on the ice because we couldn’t lift them up the five foot bank that we had there.
“And it was like 10 minutes later the calf rolled over and died,” he continued, tearing up.
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A third bull elk was found dead nearby, and staff were soon alerted to four other elk that had also crashed through some ice. None of them survived.
“We are just desperately trying to save these elk and then they die right in front of you there, so it wasn’t easy,” Fyten adds.
One more dead elk was found frozen into the ice on Vermilion Lakes, west of town.
Parks Canada doesn’t know why so many animals tried to cross the ice in a short period of time. It’s believed they may have been chased by a wolf pack.
“The day before we did have a report of some wolves in the Vermilion Lakes area which is right where these elk were, so possibly they were being chased by some type of carnivore.”
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