BANFF – An exhausted young bull elk that fell through the thin ice of the Bow River in Banff had a lucky escape when park wildlife specialists quickly jumped into action to save it from the frigid water.
As hordes of tourists and residents lined the riverbank on Wednesday (March 27), wildlife crews used a chainsaw to cut a path in the ice to help the distressed elk out of the river in a dramatic rescue upstream of the pedestrian bridge between Central Park and the Banff recreation grounds.
Initially unsuccessful in trying to get a harness around the young elk’s antlers, the chainsaw-cut path gave the elk some momentum to try to scramble out, but needed the extra help of a harness placed around its hind legs to finally get pulled to safety.
A Parks Canada spokesperson said the staff – including one donned in a dry suit who was at one point in the river with the elk – were able to free the elk from the ice and assist it to shore.
“The elk was able to stand up with a little bit of encouragement and left the area,” said Natalie Fay, a spokesperson for Banff National Park in an email.
“The safety of staff and wildlife is a priority and Parks Canada is pleased that this incident has a positive ending.”
Once the elk was rescued, the crowds on the riverbank and pedestrian bridge clapped and yelled in delight. Young kids were cheering earlier, “save the elk, save the elk, save the elk.”
It is not uncommon for elk and other large animals to fall through the ice on the Bow River in spring and fall.
When elk crash through the river ice in highly visible and developed locations in the Banff townsite, Parks Canada typically makes the decision to try to save them. When this happens out of view or in less busy areas, they often let nature take its course – or in most cases wouldn’t even hear about it.
A big reason for intervening is to avoid onlookers from putting their own lives at risk to save the elk when Parks Canada staff have the safety gear, equipment and training to mount these types of rescues. There is also concern elk carcasses could draw carnivores like wolves and bears to the area.
Last spring, on April 2, within 45 minutes of an elk calf falling through thin ice into the Bow River by the Muskrat Street pedestrian bridge, the dedicated wildlife team had pulled the calf from the river and wrapped it in warm blankets before it rejoined the rest of the herd.
In late March 2021, another elk calf was plucked from the frigid river waters upstream of the canoe docks, while just days earlier, park staff worked tirelessly through the night to save four elk that had broken through the ice near Central Park.
Three of the four adult cow elk survived that evening’s stressful ordeal, but one animal became weaker and weaker and had to be put down despite efforts by park resource conservation officers for almost 12 hours to save her.
In January 2021, Parks Canada staff also tried to save a hypothermic cow elk that fell through the ice near Central Park. After getting out of the frigid water, staff spent the next six-and-a-half hours trying to warm her with blankets and heaters, but the elk ended up dying as a result of the trauma.
Fay said elk falling through thin ice each spring is a natural occurrence.
“If you see a distressed animal on thin ice, never attempt to rescue the animal or interfere in any way,” she said.
Call Banff Dispatch at 403-762-1470 if you see a distressed animal or humans interfering with wildlife.
Parks Canada also reminds visitors and residents that thin ice is extremely dangerous.
"As the temperatures begin to rise, ice on Banff National Park waterways will begin to thaw," said Fay. "At this time of year, visitors and residents are encouraged to stay away from ice for personal safety reasons, as ice conditions can change rapidly."
