Name something more beautiful than an elk herd dashing through the snow… I’ll wait.
This beautiful video is out of Jackson, Wyoming, which is home to the National Elk Refuge. The 24,7000 acre plot is dedicated to the conservation of native species and the habitat they call home, so it’s no surprise that the antlered animals like to frolic and play in the area.
Or in this case, run at full sprint speed in a rather large grouping.
And in case you didn’t know, elk can actually move fairly quickly. They are known to run up to 40 miles per hour, and it certainly looked like some of these elk were reaching their top speed as they all ran together. I’m sure once the large group of elk really got moving – to wherever they were going – they were really able to let their engines run wide open.
Yes, I know that’s a more mechanical reference, but we measure stuff in horsepower, don’t we? What’s wrong with a little elk-power?
When you watch the footage below, you’ll probably ask yourself, “That sure seems like a lot of elk in one place, right?” You’re right to wonder that, and let’s just say that a not out of the ordinary. Herds have been known to be made up by around 400 elk, and the grouping can get even bigger during the summer months. Feel free to take the time to count how many elk were a part of this grouping and get back to me… but I think it’s safe to estimate that this herd far exceeded that 400 number (you can also check this story out if you want to see another never-ending stream of elk).
In fact, this might be the largest herd of elk I’ve ever seen. Math has never been my strongest subject, but I can comfortably say that this grouping of elk (which can also be referred to as a “gang,” believe it or not) is in the thousands. Could it surpass 5,000? Or maybe even push the 10,000 number? Well… once I get enough free time to get an official head count, I’ll come back and update this story.
I’d actually love to be able to provide an update in person. As soon as I saw that the National Elk Refuge offers sleigh rides from December through April (that’s why you’ll see horse-drawn carriages in this video), I looked up how much it would cost to get there and experience it all myself. Seems like it would be a really cool opportunity, and an experience I wouldn’t ever forget.
For now though, I’ll just have to make do with this footage that’s getting a lot of attention online. The only gripe I have with this clip is… DJ Snake and Lil Jon’s “Turn Down For What” overlaid on top of the majestic footage. There’s a time and a place for “Turn Down For What,” and watching thousands of elk stampede together across the beautiful Wyoming landscape is probably not one of those times nor places.
I’ll let it slide just because the video is so breathtaking (you can always watch it on mute):
