No, really:
An elk leaped into a research helicopter that was trying to capture it and brought down the helicopter in a collision that also killed the elk, authorities said Tuesday. The elk jumped into the chopper’s tail rotor as the aircraft flew about 10 feet (3 meters) above ground in a mountainous part of eastern Utah, with its crew trying to drop a net on the elk, said Jared Rigby of the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office.
The people on board the helicopter made it out OK, but the elk died, and the helicopter — obviously — took rotor and underside damage. In situations like these, it often comes down to How far are you ready to go? Well, in this case, it looks like the elk was ready to go farther than the humans were. And I’m willing to bet that the humans aren’t going be quite as ready to swoop in the net them some large herbivores next time.
I mean, geez. Nobody told them that the elk was going to get clearance, did they? I can’t leap ten feet in the air, after all.
Moe Lane
PS: I’m always on humanity’s side in these little legitimate disputes; but I respect hardcore, and that elk was stone cold.
No picture of the elk.
.
Dang.
Have these people never heard of Tranquilizer darts?
My kneejerk reaction is that would require the government employees to get out of their vehicle.
.
A large antlered beast running downhill between cliffs, rock outcrops, and trees while in an altered state of consciousness can have a number of obvious bad outcomes.
But this solution reminds me of certain RPG sessions that involved way too much alcohol.