Tourists flocking to a beloved national park are starting the summer off by breaking the rules over wildlife interactions.
As elk mating season, or rut, has begun at Yellowstone National Park, officials are warning park visitors that male elk have become more unpredictable and aggressive.
Also known as bull elk, the males can run quickly and change direction without warning, the National Park Service noted.
The animals have also been known to severely injure people during this time of year, and their attacks can be unprovoked and unpredictable.
Bull elk at Canyon.
(NPS / FOX Weather)
Park officials provided the following guidelines, so visitors can remain safe while enjoying Yellowstone:
Maintain your distance
- Always keep the length of two full-sized buses between you and an elk.
- If an elk begins to close that distance, back away immediately.
- When taking photos of elk, do not pursue them, but instead use your zoom lens.
A crowd of people too close to a bull elk, Mammoth Hot Springs
(Neal Herbert / NPS / FOX Weather)
Be vigilant
- Elk may be closer than you think, so look around corners before exiting buildings.
- Be mindful of blind spots and make sure elk are not present.
Bull elk and harem in Mammoth Hot Springs.
(Jim Peaco / FOX Weather)
If an elk runs toward you or charges at you
- Seek shelter as soon as possible, either in your vehicle or behind a tall, sturdy barrier.
- If shelter is unavailable, run away.
Last but not least, be sure to follow directions from park rangers.
Elk in Yellowstone National Park
Bull elk sparring.
(NPS / FOX Weather)
Elk are the most abundant large mammal in Yellowstone with up to 20,000 elk calling the park home during the summer, park officials said.
During rut, which usually runs from early September to mid-October, bull elk will showcase their fitness to females by challenging other bulls.
These challenges involve the bulls, standing at about 5 feet high at the shoulder and weighing about 700 pounds, sometimes engaging in battle by crashing their antlers together in a fight for dominance and for access to female elk.
Park officials said these fights rarely result in serious injury. Rather, the weaker male often gives up and walks away from the fight.