Animal Crossing

April 10, 2006

CAUTION Elk Crossing

Now this sign alone didn’t surprise me up in the mountains of Arizona however the little add on to the sign left me quite perplexed.

Right under the sign was a smaller sign that said “For the next 10 miles”. Now here is my confusion. . .

Anyone who’s ever been in that area of the country knows that it doesn’t matter if you are on mile 10 or 110, the terrain is all the same. So, I have a hard time understanding how they can say that elk only cross the road in the specified miles stated. Does it mean that if I hit an elk on mile 11 the city will pay for the damage done to my car? I highly doubt it but it would be worth a try, right? Or does it mean that the government sat down with these elk at the local Elk Lodge and went over certain areas they were allowed to cross in? Then the elk had their chance to tell them where they needed more crossing areas. And it turned in to this huge debate. Hmmm, maybe this was much more planned out than I know. Or is it more scientific than that? Do those signs just mean that the conditions are right for elk to cross in those areas? Like is there a certain type of tree in the area that elk are fascinated with, or a plant they just love to devour? Well, whatever the reasoning for the signs, I am here to say that I haven’t seen one elk on this entire vacation. So, I’m left wondering how often they get to use their designated areas. Or, maybe they have much more important things to do at their lodge than to impress tourists with their presence.