Famed ‘Hammock Head’ elk in Washington finally free of entanglement. See the photos
A beloved elk nicknamed Ol’ Hammock Head spent the winter and most of spring wandering around a Washington town with antlers adorned with pieces of a hammock.
But wildlife officials were finally able to remove the debris from his head on May 2, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a Facebook post.
Hammock Head was first spotted last September in Packwood, resident Dennis Reibe told KING-TV.
Soon after, the elk became a “star attraction for the town,” Gene Sieber told the news outlet. Sieber works at the Packwood Visitor Center.
Wildlife officials decided to leave the hammock on the animal’s antlers through the winter because he appeared to be “able to eat, drink and behave normally” with it, officials said.
The animal would eventually shed his antlers in the spring, and with it, the hammock, wildlife officials said.
But when spring came, the hammock remained wrapped around the animal’s head despite shedding his antlers, officials said.
Biologists then decided it was best to remove the pieces from his head, so they sedated the elk and removed the debris, freeing Hammock Head.
Artist Esther Griffith created sweatshirts and T-shirts with the famed elk, with some of the proceeds going to the town historical society, The Chronicle reported.
Packwood is about 95 miles southeast of Tacoma.
This story was originally published May 3, 2023 at 6:28 PM with the headline "Famed ‘Hammock Head’ elk in Washington finally free of entanglement. See the photos."
