A bull elk in his first year running the herd at Lone Elk Park has gotten so worked up during mating season that St. Louis County shut the entire park down. The young bull has been acting, as one park official put it, like a teenager — and it already cost one visitor a damaged car.
St. Louis County Parks and Recreation closed the 546-acre park temporarily on Monday, citing the elk's excited behavior during rut season, according to St. Louis Public Radio. Acting director Eric Johnson said the closure is meant to protect people, their vehicles and the elk themselves, and that the department is treating the animal's behavior as natural rather than a problem with the elk itself.
Johnson said this particular bull only recently rose through the herd's pecking order, taking over as herd bull from his own father this year. Because he's younger and less experienced than past herd bulls, Johnson said, he's handling the pressures of rut season differently than some of his predecessors have.
Why This Bull Is Different
Not every bull elk reacts to mating season the same way, Johnson explained. Some calmly go about their business while others become anxious or excited, and in his 32-year career, Johnson said it's been roughly 10 to 12 years since a bull at Lone Elk Park got this worked up. He added that the mating season is hopefully nearing its end, though this bull's agitated behavior has already stretched on longer than expected.
During rut, bull elk are known to display a range of mating behaviors as they compete for access to females, including posturing, swinging their antlers, thrashing trees and brush, and sparring with rivals, according to background research compiled by Purdue University. Mature bulls typically drive younger, less-dominant bulls away from the herd while they seek out cows and build harems, while the younger bulls linger at the fringes hoping to steal a mate. The elk rut generally runs from September into mid-October, per Purdue's research, and Missouri's peak breeding season typically falls in that same late-September-to-mid-October window, though some breeding behavior can continue later, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.
A Close Call Behind the Wheel
The closure comes after the bull struck a visitor's car. Theresa Hammer, a St. Louis County resident who has visited Lone Elk Park throughout her life, was sitting in her Ford Fusion at the park last week when she spotted the bull grazing nearby. The elk struck the front of her car with his horns, then went on to damage the side and hood and dent the rear quarter panel.
Hammer told the station she hasn't yet received an estimate for the damage, but she doesn't blame the animal. “This is the chance visitors take,” she said, adding that the elk's behavior is natural and not the animal's fault. St. Louis County Parks and Recreation was aware of the incident and has since put up signs warning visitors to keep their distance.
When Will the Park Reopen
County officials expect the bull to calm down once mating season wraps up, and they anticipate Lone Elk Park will reopen in the coming weeks as a result, per Johnson. Until then, the park — a wildlife management area also home to bison, wild turkey, waterfowl and deer, according to the county's own description — remains off-limits to visitors.
