You might have heard of the idiom “bull in a china shop” before, but Estes Park now has its own version of the saying. Instead, they compare that feeling of walking on eggshells to feeling like an elk in a gift shop.
That might sound apropos of nothing, but this alternative version of the idiom has historical precedence. On a cold day in Estes Park, the elk bull, Gentle Ben, decided to see what Water Wheel Gift Corner had to offer.
When the shop owner discovered there was an elk in his shop, he had no idea what to do. “I don’t know what to do now,” he said in the video. “I’m stuck inside.”
For those wondering how an elk got into town in the first place, it might be helpful to know a little more about Estes Park. This Coloradan town is famous for its healthy population of elk.
In fact, many of the elk, like Gentle Ben, regularly socialized with the local residents. Estes Park was so in love with their four-legged neighbors that they created an annual festival to celebrate the animals.
Elk might be celebrated in Estes Park, but having an elk inside a gift shop was a different story. The shop owner partnered with the local officers to get the elk out of the store without getting harmed.
When the beleaguered store owner thought he had Gentle Ben out of his store, the elk decided to come back inside. The local residents are certain to be talking about this day for years to come!
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