"I Was Shocked," Woman Takes Selfie Within Feet of Bull Elk in Banff

A Canmore wildlife photographer says he was “shocked” after witnessing a woman walk up to within just a few feet of a bull elk to take a selfie on Saturday morning, an encounter he captured on camera.

Mike Sandru, who runs Mike S Photography in Canmore and shares wildlife and travel videos on YouTube, told Bow Valley Insider he’s never seen behaviour this risky in nearly a decade living and photographing wildlife in the Bow Valley.

“I couldn’t believe what she was doing,” Sandru said. “I was shocked, as almost nine years living in the Bow Valley I’ve never seen someone get that close.”

Video Footage Captured

The incident happened around 9:30 AM on December 7 in the Cascade Mountain parking lot. Sandru and his wife were photographing the herd from a safe distance using a 600 mm lens when a white SUV arrived with four people. One woman immediately walked toward a bull elk and began taking selfies at arm’s length. Moments later, three others from the same group approached another elk.

Sandru said Parks Canada staff had passed through the lot roughly 20 minutes earlier, circling once before leaving. Aside from Sandru, his wife, and two other parked vehicles whose occupants stayed inside, the group was alone with the herd for roughly five minutes.

After the SUV left, the elk resumed grazing before two bulls locked antlers, a moment Sandru captured in a second dramatic photo.

How Mike Photographs Wildlife Safely

Sandru says he stays close to his vehicle, watches for signs an animal is spooked, and relies on long telephoto lenses so he never needs to approach wildlife. “If they were in rut, there’s no way I’d be as close as I was today. Only from inside a car,” he said.

The rut refers to the elk mating season, typically in September and October, when bulls become extremely territorial and aggressive. Hormone levels spike, bulls compete for dominance, and even normally calm animals can charge without warning. Parks Canada routinely issues warnings during this period because encounters can escalate in seconds.

He’s familiar with this particular group of male elk, having photographed them for years, but emphasized that even familiarity never reduces the need for distance.

You can see more of Mike’s wildlife photography at @thejourneyofmike.