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DENVER (KDVR) An elk with a very rare genetic trait has been spotted roaming around Estes Park.
On Monday, Colorado Parks and Wildlife posted photos on Facebook of a unique-looking elk that has been grazing around Estes Park, located just outside of Rocky Mountain National Park. CPW said she has been “catching attention for a bit and for good reason.”
According to the department, this isn’t just any elk. She is a piebald cow, or a female elk.
The piebald cow has a rare genetic trait that causes her to have a mostly white coat with some brown patches.
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A 1 in 100,000 rare piebald elk was spotted in Estes Park in 2025. (CPW/Wayne D. Lewis) -
A 1 in 100,000 rare piebald elk was spotted in Estes Park in 2025. (CPW/Wayne D. Lewis) -
A 1 in 100,000 rare piebald elk was spotted in Estes Park in 2025. (CPW/Wayne D. Lewis) -
A 1 in 100,000 rare piebald elk was spotted in Estes Park in 2025. (CPW/Wayne D. Lewis)
The genetic trait only occurs in about one in 100,000 elk.
The town of Estes Park is home to upwards of 3,000 elk, so interactions with wildlife occur daily. If you are lucky enough to catch a rare glimpse of this piebald cow, be sure to give her lots of space.
While this cow is considered extremely rare, this isn’t the first time a piebald elk has been spotted in Colorado. In 2023, during a classification flight, a Montrose-area CPW wildlife biologist spotted the unique markings on an elk in a herd.
Colorado has the largest elk population in the world, with somewhere around 280,000 elk, according to CPW. According to this data, there could be up to three piebald elk in the state.
