Elk NetworkHow a Tiny Mouse Led to Deaths of Two Bull Elk

General | October 9, 2020

How in the world does a mouse that weighs less than one ounce trigger the death of a full-grown, mature 800-pound bull elk? Let alone two bull elk?

A family enjoying a weekend in south-central New Mexico came across a disturbing discovery – two dead bull elk tangled up in fencing. It happened in the Lincoln National Forest about 230 miles south of Albuquerque.

“For them to be killed like that and be wasted is I don’t know, It’s frustrating from a recreation standpoint and inhumane from a conservation standpoint,” a man who preferred to remain anonymous told KRQE-TV.

Turns out the electric fence is part of a U.S. Department of Agriculture project designed to monitor and enhance living conditions for the endangered jumping mouse.

Go here to watch a news report about the incident.

(Photo source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)