Oh deer! Shocking moment huge bull elk aggressively headbutts man with his antlers sending him flying in the air

A wild video revealed the moment a huge elk headbutted a man, sending him flying into the air as onlookers honked their horns to scare the creature away. The elk was seen roaming around a street in the Great Smoky Mountains as a man, whose identity is unknown, loomed behind a tree. The videographer who captured the footage was heard gasping as the elk then charged at the man, chasing him around the tree. The man attempted to flee the elk but slipped and fell. The elk then pounced on its prey, headbutting him and sending him flying. Multiple witnesses then started honking their horns from their vehicles to scare the animal away from the man, who was seen lying in the grass. The extent of the man's injuries has not been released. Tracy Howells initially shared the video online. She said the attack occurred Saturday at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center on the north side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 'Please keep your distance from the elk, especially during rut!!' she wrote. The video gained traction online, with many warning people not to approach the massive elk. A bull elk was captured on video headbutting a man, sending him flying into the air 'It’s important for people to realize that things like this don’t just happen in Yellowstone. Wild animals are unpredictable,' one comment read. 'We go almost weekly to see the elk. Please don't get out of your vehicle! It's mating season and the big guys are territorial, especially now! It's not a petting zoo! Signs are posted for everyone! Read!' another added. Charles Sellars, Superintendent of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, released a statement on the video, urging visitors to stay at least 25 yards from the elk, especially during mating season. 'Visitors are encouraged to experience the beauty of elk in their natural habitat while prioritizing safety and conservation,' Sellars said. 'Elk are wild animals and can react instinctually to perceived threats. In particular females (cows) with calves and males (bulls) will defend their territory.'The video also sparked concern from conservationists that the elk could be euthanized, and a petition was launched to save the animal. 'Something feels inherently wrong about punishing a creature of the wild for acting on its instincts when it was intruded upon by a human who ignored clear safety advice,' the petition read. 'The bull elk, a majestic symbol of our beautiful wilderness, has been marked for execution because it defended itself when a person chose to violate the park's guidelines. This unfortunate encounter was not the animal's fault. After all, how can we blame an elk for doing what comes naturally?' Bull elk shed their antlers at the start of the year. They begin to grow back and shed their velvet covering by August, meaning they are especially prone to sparring in September and October Join the discussionShould wild animals face consequences when humans ignore safety rules and get hurt?What's your view?The petition reached almost 5,000 signatures, with many arguing that the man intruded on the elk's space. However, Sellars denied the rumors and said in his statement that the park had no plans to euthanize the elk. The incident occurred just two days after the park warned of the rut, which occurs from early September until late October. Bull elk shed their antlers from the previous season at the start of the year and grow new ones under a velvet covering by August. Hormonal changes during this time end the growth phase, and the velvet is rubbed off to reveal new antlers. When they approach the rut, bull elk use their new antlers to intimidate and spar, often seeing anything as a threat. Park officials have warned visitors to keep their distance, warning that encroaching on the elk's space is against federal law. Visitors have also been advised never to stop in the road or pull over to watch the elk from afar, and never to feed them. The Daily Mail has reached out to park officials for additional comment.