PARLEY’S WAY, Utah (ABC4) — A herd of elk caused a little bit of traffic trouble Thursday afternoon when they congregated right next to Interstate 80 and later ran across Foothill Drive.
According to Faith Jolley with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, the herd of about 60 elk was initially gathered on a barren slope adjacent to I-80. It didn’t seem like an ideal spot for them to idle as they were stranded between a neighborhood and a highway.
With the help of Utah Highway Patrol troopers, DWR conservation officers then herded the animals up along Foothill Drive to get them away from the freeway. They then jumped the barrier and went on Foothill Drive, leading traffic to a standstill for a brief moment.
A UDOT traffic camera captured the moment the elk crossed the road:
Officers continue to lead them across the roadway and up the Shoreline Trail to a safer environment. Last they checked, the elk have moved entirely up the mountains, but officers were trying to push them further up using snowmobiles.
“It is fairly common to have big game animals (like elk, moose and deer) migrate into cities and other urban areas during the winter,” Jolley said. “As snow falls in the mountains, deer, these animals move to lower elevations looking for food.”
If anyone sees any elk, moose or deer lingering in places they do not belong (i.e. in a neighborhood or beside a freeway), call the nearest DWR offices to get the animals relocated.