SILVERTON, Idaho – A cow elk that was nicknamed Gladys in the town of Silverton had to be put down this week.
The elk had reportedly made its way into town to search for food. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game said they had to euthanize the elk for the safety of people in town. It appeared that the animal may have been suffering too.
According to Idaho Fish and Game, some people in Silverton were feeding the elk. It got to the point that Gladys was so used to it, that she was eating out of people's hands. Pictures and videos of that made the rounds on social media.
Gladys was not good at showing her gratitude and, according to Fish and Game, acted aggressively towards several people. Earlier this week, a Fish and Game officer was called to Silverton when the elk would not leave the front door of a building. It stood its ground in front of the officer. Because of that, Fish and Game decided that was a danger and needed to be put down in order to keep people safe.
Upon further inspection, officials said it appeared the elk was not in the best shape. Fish and Game officials said that the animal was very skinny and had an enlarged heart. These can be symptoms of stress.
If there is any good news to come out of this, the meat from the elk was donated to a local family in need.
