Fish and wildlife officers free tangled bull elk in Canmore

An elk that got itself tangled in 50 metres of fencing in Canmore, Alta.,had a lucky escape after locals found the struggling animal and called Alberta Fish and Wildlife.

The bull elk had beendragging the weight oflogs and other debris, as well as the fenceitself, before being found in distress in a wooded area on the east side of the town.

"The officers safely immobilized the elk and cut the fencing right off the antlers,"saidBrendan Cox, a public affairs officer with the provincialgovernment.

"It's mating season right now so it's a stressful time for the elk to begin withand this certainly added a lot of stress."

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After officers removed the wire they managed to move the animal into a recovery position to help it breathe.

Cox says not all animals are able to recover from this kind of stressful situation.

This story has a happy ending though.

"They watched the elk wake up and walk right back into the forest," said Cox.