Orphaned Elk Cozies up to Firefighters

One elk from Washington State is proving to be not much of an elk at all.

Known affectionately as Buttons, according to ABC News, the elk made friends with all the local firefighters from Kittitas County Fire District No. 7 as they extinguished a fire on a hillside on July 2.

“She made her presence known, that’s for sure,” Richelle Risdon, Kittitas County Fire District spokeswoman, told ABC. “She isn’t your typical wild elk.”

While it’s not known how Buttons became so friendly, Risdon says the general consensus is that the elk became an orphan after the “big Taylor Bridge Fire that made news.”

“The consensus seems to be she’s an orphan. She adopted the cows, horses and goats from a neighboring ranch as her family. She wants nothing to do with elk moving through the area, like she doesn’t see herself as an elk,” Risdon continued.

Photos of Buttons snuggling up to the firefighters went viral after being posted to Facebook, receiving over 6,600 shares.

Ridson added that the firemen saved three homes from the hillside fire that day and that Buttons just wandered over to their post where about 10 people were.

“She wandered in and made herself at home. She doesn’t leave you alone either. She’s pretty insistent that she wants to be part of the group,” Ridson said.

According to an article about Buttons from last year, the elk made friends with the people at the Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest and wanted to come inside the building so much so that she ripped off the screen door.

However, they claim she’s a joy to be with and they love having her around.