A second young child has been attacked by aggressive cow elk in less than a week in Colorado’s Estes Park.

This second incident occurred at a playground near Stanley Park on Monday. A 4-year-old boy was playing while two cow elk were hidden in a nearby rocky area. Multiple families were in the area and were not aware of the presence of the elk.

One of the elk charged the boy and stomped on him multiple times before a family member was able to scare the elk away.

The boy was transported to a local hospital for care and released later that night.

A Colorado Parks and Wildlife officer investigated the situation and used non-lethal bean bag rounds to haze the elk away from the park, with the elk having since moved on to a different location. Out of precaution, the playground has been closed indefinitely. Parts of the Lake Estes Loop trail have also been closed and warning signs have been posted.

This follows another incident in which a cow elk in the Estes Park area charged a 8-year-old girl while she was riding her bike in a neighborhood on May 30. In that case, the girl was a safe distance from the elk, with the elk’s charge starting from an estimated 60 yards away. That girl was also hospitalized after getting stomped.

There was no indication that the same elk was involved in both attacks.

While elk aren’t necessarily known for their aggression, attacks on humans by cow elk become more common during the spring when elk can become defensive over their newborn young. And don’t be fooled if you don’t spot a younger elk by its mother – cow elk will often hide young in tall grass.

The best way to prevent an elk attack is to keep your distance. If an elk seems overly interested in you or is displaying aggressive behavior, leave the scene immediately. Being highly aware of your surroundings is also beneficial. Elk can tend to go unnoticed when in rocky, shadowed, or wooded areas.