Elk NetworkElk Rescued from Colorado Window Well

General | March 9, 2022

So much for a peaceful Sunday night. A cow elk fell into a six-foot-deep window well in Eagle, Colorado, about 125 miles west of Denver.

“I couldn’t believe she fit in there. She barely had any room to move,” Molly Neifert told Vail Daily. “She did break the window, so we were concerned that if she stayed in there much longer she could cut herself.”

Neifert had the window well covered with a screen to keep small animals out of it but never imagined something as large as an elk would or could fall into it, but that’s exactly what happened. The animal broke out the basement window but could not do much else.

The homeowner called Colorado Parks and Wildlife but because of the time of day, CPW was unable to respond. Instead, members of the Eagle Police Department and Greater Eagle Fire Protection District did. They placed a blanket-like piece of material with handles on it under the elk and lifted her to safety.

After a few seconds on the ground, it bolted into the darkness.

Go here to watch a Vail Daily video of the incident.