A video circulating online shows a man being headbutted and sent flying by a bull elk near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Onlookers honked their car horns to scare the animal away after the attack on Saturday. Tracy Howells, who shared the footage, warned about approaching elk during mating season when they are more territorial and aggressive. Superintendent Charles Sellars advised visitors to maintain a distance of at least 25 yards from elk to ensure safety and conservation.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-02,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
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A wild video revealed the moment a huge elk headbutted a man, sending him flying into the air as onlookers honked their horns to scare the creature away.
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onlookers → sign → creature
The elk was seen roaming around a street in the Great Smoky Mountains as a man, whose identity is unknown, loomed behind a tree.
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identity → see → tree
The videographer who captured the footage was heard gasping as the elk then charged at the man, chasing him around the tree.
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elk → capture → tree
The man attempted to flee the elk but slipped and fell.
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man → attempt → elk
The elk then pounced on its prey, headbutting him and sending him flying.
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elk → pounce → him
Multiple witnesses then started honking their horns from their vehicles to scare the animal away from the man, who was seen lying in the grass.
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who → start → grass
The extent of the man's injuries has not been released.
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extent → release → injuries
Tracy Howells initially shared the video online.
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Howells → share → video
She said the attack occurred Saturday at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center on the north side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
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attack → say → Park
'Please keep your distance from the elk, especially during rut!!' she wrote.
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she → keep → rut
The video gained traction online, with many warning people not to approach the massive elk.
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many → gain → elk
A bull elk was captured on video headbutting a man, sending him flying into the air
'
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elk → capture → air
It’s important for people to realize that things like this don’t just happen in Yellowstone.
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things → ’ → Yellowstone
Wild animals are unpredictable,' one comment read.
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comment → read → ?
'We go almost weekly to see the elk.
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We → go → elk
Signs are posted for everyone!
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Signs → post → everyone
another added.
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another → add → ?
Charles Sellars, Superintendent of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, released a statement on the video, urging visitors to stay at least 25 yards from the elk, especially during mating season.
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Sellars → release → season
'Visitors are encouraged to experience the beauty of elk in their natural habitat while prioritizing safety and conservation,' Sellars said.
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Sellars → encourage → safety
'Elk are wild animals and can react instinctually to perceived threats.
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Elk → react → threats
In particular females (cows) with calves and males (bulls) will defend their territory.'
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females → defend → territory
The video also sparked concern from conservationists that the elk could be euthanized, and a petition was launched to save the animal.
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petition → spark → animal
'Something feels inherently wrong about punishing a creature of the wild for acting on its instincts when it was intruded upon by a human who ignored clear safety advice,' the petition read.
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petition → feel → advice
The bull elk, a majestic symbol of our beautiful wilderness, has been marked for execution because it defended itself when a person chose to violate the park's guidelines.
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person → mark → guidelines
After all, how can we blame an elk for doing what comes naturally?
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what → blame → elk
Bull elk shed their antlers at the start of the year.
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elk → shed → year
They begin to grow back and shed their velvet covering by August, meaning they are especially prone to sparring in September and October
The petition reached almost 5,000 signatures, with many arguing that the man intruded on the elk's space.
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man → begin → space
However, Sellars denied the rumors and said in his statement that the park had no plans to euthanize the elk.
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park → deny → elk
The incident occurred just two days after the park warned of the rut, which occurs from early September until late October.
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which → occur → October
Bull elk shed their antlers from the previous season at the start of the year and grow new ones under a velvet covering by August.
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elk → shed → August
Hormonal changes during this time end the growth phase, and the velvet is rubbed off to reveal new antlers.
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velvet → end → antlers
When they approach the rut, bull elk use their new antlers to intimidate and spar, often seeing anything as a threat.
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elk → approach → threat
Park officials have warned visitors to keep their distance, warning that encroaching on the elk's space is against federal law.
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encroaching → warn → law
Visitors have also been advised never to stop in the road or pull over to watch the elk from afar, and never to feed them.
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Visitors → advise → them
The Daily Mail has reached out to park officials for additional comment.
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Mail → reach → comment
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