Watch an Elk Play Chicken With an Oncoming Truck (and Win)
An elk had a decision to make. He sees an oncoming truck. Does he move or play chicken with the truck and hope it moves? He chose that second one and won.
I've seen this shared recently, but the truth is the video isn't new. This happened in Rocky Mountain National Park a couple years ago.
Fortunately this truck was going super slow so there never really was any risk of collision. But, let's go over some physics to see how this might have worked out if neither moved.
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation shows that a full-grown bull elk can way upwards of 700 pounds. The mighty Roosevelt Elk can top 900 pounds. For a regular civilian pickup truck, you're looking at between 2,500 and 3,000 pounds.
As Visit Estes Park says, a bull elk can run up to 40 mph if he decides he wants to. As many of our local Casper pickup drivers have proven, a truck can go much faster.
You would think that the truck would automatically have the upper hand over an oncoming elk. But, the one intangible is the stubbornness of a bull elk. In this category, they have no equal. This elk wasn't moving for anything. Kudos to the driver for realizing he stands no chance against nature and moving aside.
Even though it's not exactly new, always appreciate a special elk moment.