Grumpy elk rams Nissan at Canada national park, video shows. ‘Respect their power’

A belligerent bull elk crashes into a passing Nissan at Jasper National Park in Canada, an Instagram video shows.

“I had just finished telling the guests on my bus about the local bulls charging cars, and then it happened!,” Kendra Neef, the tour guide who shot the video, said in the caption.

“Keep your distance, folks,” she warned, noting that she took the “elk vs. Nissan” video from inside a vehicle. It was posted to Instagram on Sunday, Oct. 1.

The bull elk stands beside the road, then turns and rams the slow-moving Nissan, rocking it and causing the headlights to jump, the video shows.

The Nissan stops briefly as the bull elk looks around and prepares for another charge, then swiftly speeds away.

“Rooting for the elk every time,” read one comment on the Instagram post.

“Have to respect their power,” read another comment.

It’s not clear from the video whether the car was damaged.

Jasper National Park is the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies, Parks Canada said. It’s about 200 miles northwest of Calgary in Alberta.

The national park warns visitors to stay away from elk, especially during rutting and calving seasons.

“During rutting season, never stand or park your car between a male and the females, you may be attacked,” park officials said.

This story was originally published October 9, 2023 at 3:24 PM with the headline "Grumpy elk rams Nissan at Canada national park, video shows. ‘Respect their power’."