If you were asked to describe an elk, you would probably say it’s a big, four-legged brown animal with hooves. Some elk look a little different from their peers. There’s a female elk that sports a dappled white coat living in Colorado. Colorado Parks and Wildlife captured stunning images of the wild animal.
The elk’s color combo is known as piebald. CPW posted the photos to social media on May 12, saying, “This rare genetic trait occurs in about 1 out of every 100,000 elk and causes a mostly white coat of hair with some patches of brown.” The images are like wildlife glamour shots. The elk has more white on her face while her body is a mix of white and brown.
The “bald” part of piebald is a reference to color, like how a bald eagle has a white head. Piebald elk can look very different from each other, with some having more white patches than others. “Piebaldism is a recessive trait; therefore, both parents must carry the recessive gene for there to be a chance that they will produce a piebald fawn. All of which makes this condition extremely rare,” the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources said in a Facebook post in 2021.
The unusual elk lives with her herd near Estes Park in northern Colorado. If Estes Park rings a bell, it may be because it’s home to the famous Stanley Hotel, the inspiration for the Overlook Hotel in Stephen King’s “The Shining.” That little tidbit of haunting history doesn’t have anything to do with the elk’s ghostly appearance.
Colorado seems to be a lucky state when it comes to piebald elk. The crew of a CPW wildlife-monitoring helicopter flight caught sight of a mostly white elk cow in 2023. The newly spotted elk is believed to be a different animal than the one seen a couple of years ago, says Kara Van Hoose, CPW public information officer.
Wildlife fans have a better chance of spotting a piebald elk in Colorado than just about anywhere else. Officials estimate the state is home to around 280,000 elk, making it the largest population of elk in the world. It’s a remarkable comeback story for the big game animals, which once numbered around 40,000 in all of North America in the 1900s, CPW said.
Colorado was at the forefront of reviving elk populations. Notably, the state imported 50 elk from Wyoming in 1916 to begin rebuilding the herds. While elk are thriving in Colorado, they still have some threats to contend with—such as vehicle strikes, disease and poaching.
The piebald elk’s eye-catching coloration means she may blend in well with the landscape during winter, but may also stand out more during warmer months. The elk is a minor celebrity around Estes Park. Colorado wildlife fans shared sightings of the elk with CPW on Facebook.
Animals like the piebald elk can attract a lot of attention, much like bison at Yellowstone National Park. Elk are big, powerful wild animals and they’re not looking to be your buddy. “If you’re lucky enough to catch a glimpse of her, remember to give her lots of space,” CPW said.
