A bull elk that was a favorite of photographers and visitors to Rocky Mountain National Park has died, according to the National Park Service.
March 24, 2022, 12:55 AM UTCA bull elk with magnificent antlers that was a favorite of photographers and visitors to Rocky Mountain National Park has died, according to the National Park Service.
Known as “Bruno,” “Kahuna” and “Incredibull,” the Colorado animal was estimated to be over 10 years old.“He could have died from natural causes or been preyed on by a mountain lion," Patterson said."He got hurt during the rut this past year from another bull.”‘The public should always be cautious around carcasses in Rocky Mountain National Park, because mountain lions could be nearby,” she said.
The life cycle of bull elk's antlers begin with a single tine on each side, and then by its second or third year it will have three or four tines — known then as a"raghorn," the Schrags said."For him, his peak maturity was in 2019, and for the last two years he regressed," Loren Schrag said, and his antlers shrunk.