Sometimes, when we sense danger, we do strange things that we don't even realize we're doing. Animals react to danger, too. I wonder if they realize what they're doing or just do it. Maybe humans think too much.

Here's something about the elk and their response to danger.

Dealing with Danger

When a mother elk senses danger it kicks its hoofs or escapes by running away. Yet a calf drops to the ground and stays very still when it's been warned there's danger in the air. An elk's natural enemies are the cougar, golden eagle, bobcat, wolf, coyote and bear. No wonder an elk, whether mother or calf, deals with danger right away. Sensing danger can mean either life or death.

A mother elk will bark a warning to its calf if it senses danger, while a calf will squeal in fright. Both will remain close together as they feed. And if a calf plays with other calves while the mother rests, another mother will watch over the playful calves. They are never left alone.

In fall, both the mother and the calf grow a woolly undercoat and a layer of long hair on top of that. They appear to have a mane. It makes them easier to tell apart from deer. It also protects them from another kind of danger, that of freezing cold weather.

Through winter, the mother and calf will graze together in sheltered valleys. Yet in the spring, the calf will be ready to be on its own in the herd--and the mother will be ready to birth a new calf. They will still travel together within the herd, up and down mountains. But they won't take chances, staying out in the open for long.

Though the calf has become more independent of the mother, they both know now that natural enemies may be near. They react on their own, as from the start, yet remain close. Nevertheless, they must both be ready to deal with danger.