Rod Young knows the bull elk of Prince Albert National Park well, having photographed the same majestic animals many times over the years. When he spotted one of his familiar subjects in early October, something was terribly wrong. The elk was completely entangled in black netting, possibly from an old hammock or cargo net, and the exhausted animal was visibly stressed, tired, and angry as it struggled against the material wrapped around its antlers.
Young immediately took photos and video, then reported the emergency to Parks Canada staff without hesitation. Within hours, resource conservation teams tracked down the distressed elk on Kingsmere Road and carefully tranquilized him. For 40 tense minutes, staff monitored the elk’s vital signs while cutting away every strand of netting, freeing the animal from what could have been a deadly trap. Just 10 days later, Parks Canada rescued another bull elk caught in fencing, highlighting how everyday items like snow fencing, garden netting, and trampoline nets pose serious dangers to the herd of 60 to 80 elk that roam the Waskesiu townsite.
