Approaching Jasper we spotted some Elk in a field on the side of the road. Renee walked over to get a better photo, not too close but the inquisitive male Elk wondered over to her briefly before continuing to munch on the grass. It was all non-aggressive and Renee enjoyed the encounter.
Later however we encountered the same herd of Elk and again Renee wondered over, this time to a female. “Get a little closer” I was saying “So I can get a good photo”. This time the female Elk soon became quite aggressive, staring down at Renee menacingly and stomping her feet. Renee made a hasty retreat and I snapped a few photos of the process. Naturally Renee now wanted me to get close to the Elk so she could get a photo of us both, I tried getting out of the car an approaching her but she instantly became unreasonable; approaching me threateningly and giving me the evil stare – I was forced back into the car. [Note: Elk can actually be quite dangerous and we advise that you DO NOT approach the Elk]
[slickr-flickr tag=”Icefields Parkway Elk”]
There wasn’t much to explore in Jasper town itself but I did manage to steal a quick shower at the local recreation club. The gym area was locked off to members only but after I asked some probing questions on the standard of the squash court the receptionist allowed me to go downstairs to take a look for myself. A five minute shower later I came back up, thanked the receptionist and promptly left; I still wonder if she noticed that my hair was dry when I arrived and wet when I left…
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– The Plan
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Yes after travelling to a few parks we found out that you can be injured badly by elk. At the time I thought they looked like nice (rather large) deer. It is especially dangerous to approach mother elk in spring time – which of course is what I did! Luckily I managed to escape unharmed.
and with some great photos to remember the experience by