Elk Roam Downtown Loveland! [VIDEO]

Downtown Loveland is know for its characters, but none this large!

Check out the story of "The Lords Of Loveland"!

Five bull elk were spotted in downtown Loveland the other day, near 6th and Colorado. It's not VERY surprising for something strange to happen downtown, but huge elk wandering the streets ranks up there around the top.  Apparently though, this family of elk have been a part of the Loveland scene for some time-

From The Reporter-Herald:

Eric Rollison, a chiropractor on Eighth Street, has been following the family of elk for a couple of years now, he said. "We call them the Lords of Loveland. They follow the river down. It's beautiful to see them this far into town. They're pretty magnificent creatures," he said.

The river Eric refers to is The Little Thompson River that flows through town on it's way to meet up with The Big Thompson River.

Jennifer Churchill, Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife, said that the elk have been residents in the area since a drought in 2002. The wildlife in the area likely doesn't have to do with the High Park fire and are on normal movement patterns.

Amy Ryel, a local division officer, said that it's important to understand that wildlife can be anywhere in Colorado and it's a cool thing that we should respect. The elk won't be moved from the city unless they become a safety issue.

Check out the video that The Reporter-Herald captured:

In today's age of just about everyone carrying a camera and/or video camera, there comes some advice:

Amy Ryel from the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife: "We would ask that people respect their space and get photos from a great distance," Churchill said. Churchill said that people have a tendency to chase down the wild animals with iPhones to get photos because the elk look comfortable but the elk are large and can be dangerous if agitated. She said that any time an animal changes behavior, you're too close.

So, be on the lookout for "The Lords of Loveland" in the next few weeks as they migrate on their normal movement pattern!  Fun!

[Reporter-Herald]