Elk Outsmart Drinking Fountains

You'll have to be smarter than the average elk if you need water in Grand Canyon National Park. They had to elk-proof a dozen water stations after the critters figured out how to turn them on. The crafty critters were walking up to bottle-filling stations around the park, lifting the levers with their noses and letting the water flow. Grand Canyon National Park installed them with the intent of decreasing the sale of disposable plastic water bottles and  conserving water. Park officials have now put little cages around the water spouts and changed the handles to discourage the elk, who are now being seen near the water stations with really really long drinking straws.

DB