An elk damaged a fence at a farm in Hundested in North Zealand on Sunday, and was later seen running and swimming near the beach at Kikhavn.
According to reporting by DR, a farm owner in Hundested got an unexpected visit from the large animal on Sunday. The elk ended up destroying a fence on the farmer’s property.
The incident was registered by Nordsjællands Politi. In its daily log, the police noted that it is not their task to regulate the elk’s free movement, only to record the report.
TV2 Kosmopol adds that the animal ran around the grounds of the property and damaged the fence by the residence. BT reports, citing the same police log, that the elk headed in the direction of Ullerup Skov after the fence was broken.
The farmer was not the only person to encounter the animal that day. Birdwatcher Hjalte Winther Abrahamsen suddenly saw the elk on the beach near Kikhavn in Halsnæs Municipality. He first thought a loose horse was running toward him.
Abrahamsen estimates that he was between 10 and 15 meters from the elk at one point. He described the moment as unreal at first, and then documented it with as many pictures as he could. His photos and video also show the elk taking a short swim.
Nature Agency issues advice
Søren Oldenburg, forest ranger and head of Naturstyrelsen Nordsjælland, said there is no reason to be nervous about meeting the elk in nature. Per Oldenburg, elk do not seek out people, but should be treated with respect like other large animals.
He advised observing the animal from a distance and not approaching it for a photograph or a selfie. As stated by Oldenburg, people should let the elk withdraw if that is what it wants, which is likely its first reaction. He also asked dog owners to keep their animals on a leash to avoid dangerous situations.
Naturstyrelsen Nordsjælland is fairly convinced that this is the same elk that has been spotted several times in the region since May. That assessment comes from Oldenburg, according to DR.
Regional outlet Sjællandske Nyheder also covered the sighting, noting that an elk made itself noticed in Kikhavn on the same day. The site placed the beach encounter in the wider pattern of elk visits to North Zealand.
An account published on Presse-fotos.dk described the animal as aggressive and said it smashed all the fencing at the address before moving toward Ullerup Skov. That description is based on the same police log entry recorded by Nordsjællands Politi.
