Another Confiscated Elk Dies

Another of the 10 elk that state officials seized from the game farm of fugitive militiaman Calvin Greenup has died.

The elk from Greenup’s Darbyarea farm collapsed and died Tuesday during routine genetic and disease testing, the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks said.

The animal was seized April 13 from the game farm operated by Greenup, state leader of the Indianabased North American Volunteer Militia. State officials said Greenup refused, despite repeated warnings, to license his game farm as required under Montana law.

Two of the confiscated elk were found dead April 16 in the Missoula pen where they were placed by state officials. Officials said those elk may have been injured internally when tranquilized and placed in livestock trailers.

The elk that died Tuesday was being tested by Hamilton veterinarian R.J. Brophy, the wildlife agency said in a news release. Brophy reported he handled the Greenup elk on several occasions during the past four years.

To help protect the elk from undue stress, he suggested Fish, Wildife and Parks build runways for the elk to use when entering the testing area.

“The department made several improvements that made the facility a lot less stressful,” Brophy said. “The animal’s death was not attributable to the facility. It’s what we call a ‘chute accident.”’

Brophy said the elk that died was the seventh tested Tuesday afternoon. The animal collapsed after the tests were completed and seconds before it was to be released from a chute, the wildlife agency said. Attempts to resuscitate the elk failed.

It died from lack of oxygen to its brain, Brophy said. State officials said a contributing factor was the pressure applied to the elk’s carotid artery while the animal struggled in the testing chute.

Greenup’s elk were seized by county and state officers acting with a search warrant. Greenup is charged with operating an unlicensed game farm, a misdemeanor. He has had a license, but it expired more than a year ago.

Greenup is a fugitive sought for felony obstruction of justice in connection with allegations that he harbored a son wanted for assault.

State officials said they expected the seized elk to be sold to a licensed game farm, after the completion of tests.