Tourists pick up elk calf, take it to police station; 2 black bears struck by vehicles and killed

Tourists who picked up an elk calf and hauled it in their car to the West Yellowstone police station are being investigated.

Yellowstone National Park announced the Memorial Day weekend incident in a press release, noting several animal vs. human incidents. The visitors likely placed the calf in their car while driving on Highway 191.

The elk later ran off into the forest and its condition is unknown. Cow elk will sometimes leave their young calves hidden as they graze. Hikers are reminded to leave wildlife alone. In Yellowstone, visitors must by law stay 25 yards away from all wildlife (including bison, elk and deer) and at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves to avoid being harmed or hurting the animals.

The news comes only days after a Hawaii man was fined for helping a bison calf out of the Lamar River. The calf could not be reunited with its mother and was euthanized by the Park Service.

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“Approaching wild animals can drastically affect their well-being and, in some cases, their survival,” the park said in its statement. “When an animal is near a campsite, trail, boardwalk, parking lot, on

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