Courtesy Photo

ROGERS CITY — A young bull elk has taken up residence in Rogers City and residents of the city have become enamored with their new neighbor.

Officials say the animal has been in the area for about three weeks and many people are beginning to get too close to take photos and videos and to feed it. Those officials urge residents to keep a safe distance from the animal because it is still wild. Feeding the elk is also against the law and could make shooing away the animal more difficult.

Paul Fox, a conservation officer for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, said the elk has been in Rogers City for about a month, but it has wandered from north of the city to the lakefront area near the Little League parks and the Calcite plant. The elk has also been spotted in a nearby residential area in people’s yards and in alleyways.

Fox, who has been observing the animal and using firecracker-like devices to try to spook it back into the woods, said the animal is healthy, and, as of now, not a threat to the public.

For now, Fox said, he isn’t willing to do anything drastic to remove the elk, but some steps will be taken to help motivate the animal to leave on its own.

Courtesy Photo A bull elk stands in front of Lake Huron in Rogers City earlier this week. Michigan wildlife officials say the animal is healthy and little threat to the public, but they warn that people should keep a safe distance from the creature.

“Right now, he’s healthy, eating a lot of grass, laying back in the sun relaxing, grooming himself and living his best life,” Fox said.

Because elk really don’t have natural predators in Northeast Michigan, they tolerate people and often allow them to get close to them, unlike other wild animals. Fox said that is exciting for people who want to celebrate the animal and take pictures of it, but he said there are also potential pitfalls for people, should the animal begin to feel threatened or agitated.

“They really aren’t skittish around people, but people need to respect it, because it is a 600-pound animal,” he said. “Yes, it is super cool and people love it, but I don’t want a bull elk taking up residence in the city.”

Rogers City Police Chief Jamie Meyer said his department hasn’t received any complaints about the animal and his staff has not been involved in helping with its removal. He said large numbers of people have been looking for it for photos and to get a good view of it, but he said the public needs to be responsible.

“Remember, this is a wild animal — a very large wild animal — and wild animals can be unpredictable,” Meyer said. “Please don’t get too close to it.”

Courtesy Photo A bull elk stands under a tree in one of the parks in Rogers City. The animal has been wandering around a portion of the city for about three weeks and has been the subject of many photos and videos on social media.

Fox said there is no plan to euthanize the animal, unless things turn south and it becomes aggressive and endangers people or property.

The DNR was in Rogers City and Fox said he was going to stop at City Hall to provide an update to officials on the animal and what the plan is moving forward. He said that, right now, there is a lot of food available to the animal, but, when snow arrives and covers the grass that is now easily available, things could change and two things could happen.

“It could make its way back into the woods and reconnect with the bachelor herd of his kind,” Fox said. “Or it could move farther into the city and begin to feed on shrubs and trees and an animal of that size can bring a tree down. It could also hurt itself by getting trapped in a fence, and I would just feel better if we could get it to move on.”

One option that isn’t on the table is tranquilizing the elk and relocating it physically. Fox said a state veterinarian who serviced Northeast Michigan retired, and, since then, the department has nobody who can drug the animal to safely move it.

That means that the elk can pretty much come and go where he wants when he wants. Fox said the DNR will continue to monitor the animals’ health and movements.

Courtesy Photo A young bull elk sunbathes on the shore of Lake Huron in Rogers City on Thursday. The animal has taken up residence in the small city and become a popular attraction for locals. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources asks people to keep a safe distance from the 600-pound animal as they continue to try to motivate it back into the forest

“Right now, we have no plan to remove it, but people need to let it be and stay at least 30 to 40 yards away,” he said. “This isn’t uncommon for a young elk to stray from here to look for cows, but we don’t want it to overstay its welcome.”

There have been reports from some residents in Rogers City that the male elk was seen with a female cow, but Fox said he has been unable to confirm that.

“Usually, if a bull finds a cow, they are right by their side and together,” he said.