700-pound elk charging cars on Blue Ridge Parkway

Keep your eyes open!
Great Smoky Mountains officials warn of 700-pound elk charging cars on Blue Ridge Parkway

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

If you find yourself looking at an elk through your windshield on North Carolina's Blue Ridge Parkway, it might be tempting to get close and score that perfect photo. However, park officials are warning that the massive creatures have been known to charge a car or two.

In a recent Facebook post, park officials said that elk have made a comeback in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the mountains of western North Carolina after being reintroduced in 2001 and 2002. While that's great news for the species, it also means Blue Ridge Parkway just became a little more treacherous.

Officials said elk can weigh up to 700 pounds and have been known to charge at perceived threats, including cars and people. If you come across one in the road, it's best to keep a good bit of distance between you and the big guy. That's what zoom is for, y'all.

 

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