Posted on 09/07/2011 6:55:37 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
A drunken elk desperate for just one more mouthful of fermenting apples lost its balance in the attempt, leaving it stuck in an apple tree in western Sweden.
When Per Johansson of Särö, south of Gothenburg, returned home from work on Tuesday it was dark outside and the rain was coming down hard. Suddenly Johansson heard a bellowing noise from the garden next door.
“I thought at first that someone was having a laugh. Then I went over to take a look and spotted an elk stuck in an apple tree with only one leg left on the ground,” Johansson told The Local.
The unfortunate elk was desperately entangled in the tree’s branches and was kicking ferociously as Johansson approached.
“I thought it looked pretty bad so I called the police who sent out an on-call hunter. But while we were waiting, the neighbours and I started to saw down some of the branches and then the hunter arrived with a saw as well,” said Johansson.
The group tried to make the elk more comfortable but to no avail.
It wasn’t until the fire brigade arrived on the scene and managed to bend the tree to the point where the exhausted elk could slide out of the branches that the animal was finally freed.
According to Johansson, it looked very much like the elk was severely drunk after eating too many fermenting apples.
Drunken elk are common in Sweden during the autumn season when there are plenty of apples lying around on the ground and hanging from branches in Swedish gardens.
While the greedy animal was reaching ever higher to reach the delicious but intoxicating fruit, it most likely stumbled into the tree, getting itself hopelessly entangled in the branches.
And from what Johansson could gather, this particular animal had been on a day-long bender.
“My neighbour recognised it as the animal that almost ran into her car earlier in the day. She was pretty sure the elk was already under the influence,“ said Johansson.
When the inebriated elk was freed, it lay for a while on the ground, seemingly unconscious.
After emergency services had ascertained that the animal was still alive, Johansson was told to keep an eye on it and call the hunter straight away if it seemed to be suffering.
But by the morning the hungover animal had stood up and cautiously moved a few metres away.
After a while it went on its way, although Johansson suspects it is still skulking around the neighbourhood.
“We often see elk stuffing their faces with apples around here but this is the first time we found one perched in a tree,” he told The Local.
My sister thinks that “elk” needs some cheese with his wine.
Will the elk be cited by the cops for public intoxication?
LOL. Poor squirrel.
When Swedish elk go bad, it’s the lutefisk. It always starts with the lutefisk, by golly. Next thing ya’ know, they’re hitting the hard stuff in the orchard and gettin’ their antlers in a twist.
Now I see why my son wanted to be an Elk...
Looks more like a moose than an elk to me. But then those Swedes have always been confused about species.
The picture tells the tale. This is a young moose. Maybe it is called an elk in Sweden, but in the US it is a moose. No self respecting elk would be happy with a moose schnoz.
It’s the Lawrence Elk Show! Everyone try counting backwards froma one ana two ana....ana one ana three ana....
‘Alk’ is the original Swedish word for moose. It was later mistakenly applied to the big deer in North America, I think by early French explorers though I could be wrong.
A small set of a gate in the country overlooking a field. A real rustic in smock and floppy hat is leaning on the gate. A city gent on holiday appears behind him. Off-screen baa-ing noises throughout.
City Gent: Good afternoon.
Rustic: Afternoon.
City Gent: A lovely day isn't it.
Rustic: Eh, 'tis that.
City Gent: You here on holiday or...?
Rustic: Nope, I live 'ere.
City Gent: Oh, jolly good too. (surveys field; he looks puzzled) I say, those are sheep aren't they?
Rustic: Ar.
City Gent: Yes, yes of course, I thought so...only...er why are they up in the trees?
Rustic: A fair question and one that in recent weeks has been much on my mind. It's my considered opinion that they're nesting.
City Gent: Nesting?
Rustic: Ar. City Gent: Like birds?
Rustic: Ar. Exactly. Birds is the key to the whole problem. It's my belief that these sheep are laborin' under the misapprehension that they're birds. Observe their behavior. Take for a start the sheeps' tendency to 'op about the field on their back legs. (off-screen baa-ing) Now witness their attempts to fly from tree to tree. Notice that they do not so much fly as...plummet. (sound of sheep plummeting) Observe for example that ewe in that oak tree. She is clearly trying to teach her lamb to fly. (baaaaaa...thump) Talk about the blind leading the blind.
City Gent: But why do they think they're birds?
Rustic: Another fair question. One thing is for sure; a sheep is not a creature of the air. They have enormous difficulty in the comparatively simple act of perchin'. (crash) As you see. As for flight, its body is totally unadapted to the problems of aviation. Trouble is, sheep are very dim. Once they get an idea in their heads, there's no shifting it.
City Gent: But where did they get the idea from?
Rustic: From Harold. He's that sheep there over under the elm. He's that most dangerous of animals, a clever sheep. He's the ring-leader. He has realized that a sheep's life consists of standing around for a few months and then being eaten. And that's a depressing prospect for an ambitious sheep. He's patently hit on the idea of escape.
City Gent: Well why don't you just get rid of Harold? Rustic Because of the enormous commercial possibilities should he succeed.
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
Thought that maybe one of 'em had escaped from Santa's workshop or something.
Or maybe it was going to be a story about Robert Reich...
“Mesdames et messieurs, on voici le mouton Anglo-Francaise...”
;^)
Thanks! just saw that.
A snagged ‘Beast’, where have we seen that before. ;-)
too bad it didn’t work on squirrels.
That’s a moose.
Were the reporters drunk?
Another teenager gone astray!
“Drunken elk are common in Sweden” - Saab declared bankruptcy today. This was just a poor, union moose drinking to forget about the demise of his favorite car company.
Well I should’ve clarified that I have been drinking, but not enough to not remember the night since February.
But congratulations on your sobriety. Something like that is not a decision I would laugh at.
I think it’s a Knights of Columbus.
Elk? Looks like an antlerless moose to me........
*rimshot!*
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