An elk that went missing for two days from a fenced-in enclosure has been returned to its owners, according to Lehigh Township police.
Lehigh Township Police Chief Scott Fogel said police were called at 4:30 p.m. Sunday by a resident who said the elk was near the pond on his Monroe Street property.
Pennsylvania game commission officer Tyler Barnes tranquilized the elk and returned it to its owner with the help of township police, Fogel said in a news release.
The elk was so big authorities needed a skid loader to get him home, police said on Facebook. A photo taken by township police shows the length of the antlers is comparable to the height of a man standing next to the elk.
The elk went missing about 3:45 p.m. Friday from a pen in Lehigh Township, Fogel said. The wind blew down a tree that damaged the elk’s fence, police said on Facebook.
Fogel said elk are kept on three different farms in the township.
“Every once in a while they get out,” he said. “It’s happened before.”
Sometimes the elk break their fences or sometimes storms damage the fences and allow elk to escape.
“People should keep in mind that elk are not domesticated and maintain a safe distance,” Fogel said.
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Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com.
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