HAILEY, Idaho β An Idaho homeowner recently woke up to find an elk in the basement -- just one in a string of problems caused by the animals searching for food in populated valleys.
The Times-News reports (http://bit.ly/1Otx21j ) that wildlife experts say high snow levels in the mountains are driving the elk into the valleys where they would traditionally look for food.
Idaho Fish and Game officers recently had to dispose of 10 elk carcasses after the animals got into the Hailey Cemetery and died from eating Japanese yew. Regional Conservation Educator Kelton Hatch says there have also been several vehicle versus animal crashes in recent weeks. He says elk often survive the initial crash but later die from injuries.
