The drone's operator was slapped with a $280 fine for prompting the massive bout of elk panic.
Here's one from the "Yup, we live in the future" files: A man operating a drone caused a herd of 1,500 elk to go on a stampede on Monday, leading the drone operator to be slapped with a $280 fine for disturbing the giant deer.
The massive bout of elk panic occurred at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Elk Refuge near Jackson, Wyoming, according to the Associated Press. Refuge spokesperson Lori Iverson told the AP the drone's operator, who hailed from Washington, D.C., launched his flying machine from a highway pull-off and used it to fly over the resting herd of elk, prompting them to make a break for it.
A person driving a sleigh saw the incident and contacted authorities, according to the Jackson Hole Daily, a local newspaper.
Drones have become an increasingly common site at the National Elk Refuge in recent years, deputy refuge manager Cris Dippel said in a statement.
Fines for disturbing wildlife in the area can run as high as $5,000.
Elk and bison gather at the refuge to eat food placed there by conservationists to help them endure the long, cold Wyoming winter. The animals often congregate in the area for up to six months during the colder part of the year.
The elk, also known as the wapiti, is one of the largest mammals to walk the face of North America today, growing to more than half a ton and standing up to five feet tall at the shoulder.
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Birds of prey taking down a flying machine? Goddamn majestic.