By Pete Thomas
A Yellowstone National Park concession employee was injured Wednesday during an encounter with a cow elk.
The female employee was hospitalized after the incident in Mammoth Hot Springs, a developed area in the northwest portion of the park.
The park, as of Thursday morning, had not released her name. Park spokeswoman Linda Veress declined to disclose the nature of the woman’s injuries.
Mammoth Hot Springs, location of park headquarters, also boasts a hotel, the Albright Visitor Center, and other buildings surrounded by verdant lawns.
Elk gather in the area seeking shelter from predators and close encounters with tourists are common. During the spring, cow elk cautiously guard their young. Last spring, two tourists were injured by elk within a week.
“This time of year folks need to stay alert,” Veress told 7KBZK. “Cow elk may charge or kick.”
The Billings Gazette reported that the animal was hazed after Wednesday’s incident so it would leave the area.
Visitors are supposed to remain at least 25 yards from elk and employees receive safety training courses as part of their orientation.
Yellowstone is a spring-summer range for up to 20,000 elk. Calves are born in May and June.
–Image showing elk in Mammoth Hot Springs is courtesy of ©Pete Thomas
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