Park rangers said the photographer did nothing wrong in this incident which happened in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. At the end of this video the elk starts to drag off the photographer’s gear. Much to the regret of the photographer in the video and the photographer that took this video, the elk was put down. This elk kept approaching people due to being fed by park visitors so it was put down.
Soapbox time: Don’t feed the animals! It puts their lives at risk. Even small park animals that become habituated to human food do not fend well for themselves in the winter. Please don’t feed the animals.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a great place to do nature photography. It is our most visited national park with over 11 million visitors per year. It is very busy in the fall and especially on fall weekends.
More on this photographer/elk story here.
Links
Elk from Headbutting Incident Put Down by National Park, Photographer Appalled
The National Park Series: Where to Go and When
When is the Best Time of Year to Photograph Each of Our National Parks? – Arranged by season.
The Best Months to Photograph the Best National Parks – When are our best national parks at their photographic prime? This is your guide to the best months for each park. Arranged alphabetically by parks.