As North Bend Mayor Pro Tem Mark Joselyn welcomed in the new year alongside the rest of our community this winter, he was startled one weekend when he encountered a sick, lethargic female elk alone near his home in North Bend.
Residents and visitors alike know that North Bend is steeped in natural beauty, bounded by the South and Middle Forks of the Snoqualmie River and surrounded by more than 5,000 acres of protected public land. With that wilderness comes ample amounts of wildlife – in parks, crossing public Rights-Of-Way, sharing trails with us, and often, near and around our homes.
When Mr. Joselyn encountered the obviously ill elk in January, he knew he needed to do something quick. He also knew his desire to help might not be effective without professional assistance. That day, he called the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), leaving a message describing the elk, her location and his concern.
Mr. Joselyn was relieved to connect quickly with a responsive team member at WDFW. He was instructed to leave the elk alone and assured that someone would arrive soon. As promised, Wildlife Conflict Technician, Trent Inman, arrived on scene. The elk was examined, and it was determined that she was, sadly, suffering and at the end of her life. She was carefully and humanely euthanized. Specialists transported her body to another location.
“I was so thankful to have enforcement personnel from the Washington State Dept of Fish and Wildlife respond so competently and humanely to address the sad situation,” said Mr. Joselyn.
While the outcome was tragic, WDFW made the best of the situation by helping an animal in pain, and they couldn’t have done so without a resident such as Mr. Joselyn’s report.
WDFW Region 4 Conflict Specialist Kevin O’Connor said, “WDFW has an excellent team of enforcement officers and biologists to address any on-the-ground wildlife concerns.”
“Our responding team would like to give a big shout-out and thank you to the North Bend Public Works Department for helping us,” he added. Public Works Department staff often help different organizations in the field when unique situations arise within city limits.
In the event of an immediate public safety issue, wildlife violation, or an injured or dangerous animal, Mr. O’Connor recommends calling the WDFW Enforcement office at (360) 902-2936 or emailing WILDCOMM@dfw.wa.gov.
