Cow elk in Estes Park, Colorado, continue to be aggressive amid calving season, with one of the beasts charging a woman walking her dog in town Friday. It was the third such incident in nine days.

The first two attacks involved children. On May 30, an 8-year-old girl was stomped while she was out biking. On Monday, a 4-year-old boy was attacked at a playground as two elk calves remained hidden from human sight behind rocks.

The playground in Estes Park was closed by officials following the second attack, but the elk have continued to zealously defend their young from perceived human aggression. 

On Friday, a cow elk was startled by the dog-walking woman and charged her from 20 yards away, Colorado Parks & Wildlife said in a release. The woman tried to hide behind a tree but was still knocked down and stomped.

“Cow elk with young calves are known to be aggressive, however we’ve never seen a year like this. All three attacks have been unprovoked and unfortunate accidents. We have no clear evidence to suggest these attacks were from the same animal, which underscores how uncommon the elk behavior has been,” CPW Area Wildlife Manager Jason Duetsch said.

CPW didn’t provide any identifying information about the woman but noted she sought medical treatment. Both children were treated at local hospitals.

Calving season starts in late spring and lasts into early summer.

“The first thing is awareness that we are in calving season. If you are out recreating and you can see elk, it’s a possibility (calves) are hidden. Put an object in between you and the elk because their side-to-side movement isn’t as fast as forward or backward,” CPW Northeast Region spokeswoman Kara Van Hoose told the Boulder newspaper Daily Camera.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.