Good morning everyone. Take a look at that big bull elk in that photo on the left. Gorgeous, isn’t he? Elk are one of many species of animals that populate the Grand Canyon area, and right about now, this bad boy, and other creatures like him are feeling, well, *ahem* agitated.
See, September and October are the primary mating season for elk, and the other day, a Grand Canyon resident had an encounter with a particularly amorous fellow on his afternoon jog. Guess he rounded a bend on a trail by the Albright Training Center and came up on a big guy rubbing his antlers against a tree (a common occurrence as males make ready to “lock horns” in competition for females). Well, this jogger luckily knew exactly what was going on, and he ran for it, but this time, the animal actually chased him, knocked him down and scraped him up a bit.
These sorts of encounters are extremely rare (even the folks at the National Park Service were surprised), so don’t think you have to be in fear of elk or other wildlife on your Grand Canyon vacation. In fact, if you happen to see an elk, or big horn sheep, that’s awesome ‘cause I didn’t see them that often in the 7 years that I lived there. But, PLEASE – enjoy the animals from a distance.
Always remember that elk, mule deer, squirrels, ravens, and all the other critters you’ll invariably see at the park, are NOT tame. They may look perfectly cute and mild-mannered (hey, they’re smart, they learn how to be that way!), but they can bite you, some animals carry fleas and other parasites, and those antlers on the deer and elk are deadly. They have gored people at the Grand Canyon and elsewhere.
So, for your own good, and the good of the animals, please limit your contact to picture-taking from a safe distance. DO NOT feed or touch them. Remember, too, that this is a National Park, so hunting is prohibited, as is throwing objects at animals or birds.
The Grand Canyon is the animals’ home. We are just guests in it.
OK, that’s my “lecture” for the day. Hey, I’m outta here, I’m going to the North Rim. More on that L8R! 
Alley Kaye
September 22nd, 2006 at 4:36 pm
Speaking of animal injuries, can you guess what the most common injury was at the walk-in clinic there?
Squirrel bites.
Those squirrels are cute, but man they can be pushy. Especially the ones out behind the Bright Angel Lodge. A local’s tip for dealing with them?
Carry a squirt water bottle and stand away from the rock edges while you eat. If they *still* try to approach you and climb up your leg, a little bit of water will usually send them running while keeping you safe.