Posted on 04/19/2026 11:09:24 AM PDT by MtnClimber
As herds of elk have overtaken a beach in a small Oregon coastal town, tourists have tried to put their children on them to ride and others attempt to feed them carrots. “We have visitors who don't know elk are wild animals,” said the local chamber.
It’s a sight most in Wyoming would consider extremely odd: herds of elk lounging around the beach.
That’s what’s happening in the small Oregon coastal town of Cannon Beach, where elk are taking over the beaches, looking completely out of context in the sand and surf.
And as in Yellowstone National Park, Estes Park, Colorado and other places where people and elk are in close proximity, some people behave stupidly, said James Paino, executive director of the local chamber of commerce.
“We have a lot of visitors who just don't think that it (an elk) is a wild animal,” he said. "I’ve seen people try to put their kids on an elk’s back, or walk up and feed them carrots."
The elk could possibly drawn to the beach seeking saltwater therapy for biting pests.
“It’s not uncommon to see elk going out into saltwater. It’s commonly thought to be therapeutic for external parasites, such as fleas,” said Paul Atwood, a district wildlife biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.....SNIP
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Now that’s something! Going back to your elementary school and wondering who it was named for! FR fills in the blanks again!
Definitely it was a moose.
“I’ve seen people try to put their kids on an elk’s back, or walk up and feed them carrots.”
Good grief! That is so stupid. I worry for those kids.
Does she hang out with a flying squirrel? What has everyone got against Shirley?
In Europea, Moose are called “Elk”.
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