Courtesy Photo A bull elk, affectionately named Roger by the residents of Rogers City, roams the city in this undated courtesy photo. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources euthanized the animal on Wednesday.

ROGERS CITY — A bull elk that brought the community of Rogers City together has now divided it after the animal died on Wednesday.

A Michigan Department of Natural Resources official said the DNR had to set aside the emotions of the people of Rogers City during its decision to euthanize the elk that called Rogers City home the last two autumns.

The DNR decided to euthanize the wild animal on Wednesday, claiming it had become a public safety issue. The decision enraged many people in the community. The blame game on social media began almost immediately after the news broke, and many Rogers City residents demanded accountability.

The DNR said relocating the elk wasn’t a viable option and putting the animal down was the only logical solution.

For two consecutive autumns, the elk visited Rogers City and became a celebrity of sorts. People would often see it taking a nap in their yards or basking in the sun at local parks.

The elk was affectionately named Roger by the community out of respect for the city they live in.

Since Roger was first spotted, residents and visitors were repeatedly reminded by the Rogers City Police Department, city officials, and the DNR to keep a safe distance from the animal and warned not to feed him.

Many people abided by those recommendations, but others did not, and the elk began to interact with residents more often and began to exhibit more aggressive behavior, DNR officials say.

The elk was located by the DNR on Wednesday at North Shore Park. After the area was secured, the animal was shot and killed.

Rogers City’s government didn’t have the authority to determine the elk’s fate and the only role the Rogers City Police Department played was to close and secure the streets and parking lot near North Shore Park.

The reaction on social media to Roger’s fate was swift, as finger-pointing, blame, and accusations spread like wildfire. Most of the people online agreed on one thing, however: They believed the elk should have been spared and another option considered.

The DNR was a target of much of the public’s ire.

On Thursday, a DNR official told The News the agency’s options were limited and the decision to terminate the animal was made by the DNR’s Wildlife Division, which said Roger was now a threat to people because he was no longer scared of them.

Chad Stewart, DNR deer, elk, and moose management specialist, said Roger had overcome his fear of humans and, by the same measure, people overcame their fear of him and began to approach the animal more closely. That, he said, could have been a recipe for disaster.

Stewart said he sympathizes with residents of Rogers City, because he knows what Roger meant to them. He said that, when officials make a decision like the decision to kill Roger, the DNR has to put emotions aside and do what is right to keep the people safe.

He said that, if the elk was allowed to roam in the city and something bad happened, the department would be under more intense pressure.

“The elk and people were unable to exist on that landscape, and we understand 100% what it meant to the people and how iconic he was,” he said. “But we have to consider public safety. That animal has two large weapons on the top of its head and it would not take much to severely injure or, worse, take a human life. We have to protect against that scenario. We would rather talk about this than having to take questions from a reporter who found out we knew about a habituated animal and asked why we didn’t do anything about it.”

Stewart said Roger had become habituated to his new surroundings and neighbors and that often leads to problems. He said the animal’s behavior also likely changed when it entered its rut and concern mounted as Roger began acting more aggressively, though he hadn’t attacked anyone.

Bulls become more aggressive this time of year and are known to charge at each other and lock antlers as they battle for dominant status and mating rights. The DNR feared that, because Roger was interacting with humans, an unintended incident could have occurred.

“The fear of people was gone, and it is hard for them to get that back,” Stewart said. “Normally, an animal will flee. When they lose fear of people, they can become more aggressive and their demeanor can change. When it becomes a public safety issue, we have to eliminate it.”

Stewart said Roger had become so accustomed to people, the amenities of the city, and the abundance of food options that, had the DNR chosen to relocate him into the forest anywhere in the state, the elk would have likely migrated into other populated areas, including small cities and campgrounds. He said that, because Roger was more domesticated, his movement in and out of residential areas was likely to continue.

He said taking a wild animal and moving it to a new area also risks spreading disease.

“If that animal, by some chance, had a disease that was transmissible, then you just created a really bad situation,” he said. “That is a chance we can’t take, either.”

In Gaylord and Hillman, some parks have captive elk that the public can view. Stewart said those elk were raised in captivity from birth and, unlike Roger, aren’t a wild animal. He said the state grants specialized permits to such elk-viewing areas that include terms about what they can and can’t do. Stewart said it would be unlikely those places would have been able to take the elk from Rogers City because Roger was still wild.

Roger first appeared in Rogers City last fall, and many people marveled at him and took photos and videos when they encountered him. After leaving the city to rejoin his herd, Roger returned to Rogers City early this autumn and the community welcomed him back with open arms.

Karen Rasmussen and her daughters observed Roger periodically near their home, but never got out of the car to go near him. She said some photos were taken from the car, but she never wanted to put her family or the elk in any danger. Rasmussen said people should have left the elk to itself and not become a nuisance to it. She said the people who badgered the animal and got too close to it are at fault for Roger’s sad outcome.

“We are all deeply saddened by him being euthanized, and I think the community is very divided because of it,” she said. “We’re angry, pissed, and deeply saddened that the careless actions of humans have resulted in his death. We will miss catching glimpses of him just doing his thing and trying to survive like the rest of us.”

Unfortunately, as word about the animal’s return spread outside of Rogers City, others from outside the community visited Rogers City hoping to track down Roger and see him for themselves.

Steward said there were already reports of Roger making “bluff charges” at people and he said he believed that behavior would only escalate. There were also reports to the city police claiming Roger had followed people closely while they walked along the beach.

Stewart said he is unsure what the DNR will do with Roger’s remains or with his antlers. Some people in Rogers City expressed on social media that they want his remains sent to a taxidermist and displayed somewhere in the city. Others said the city should try to get the elk’s antlers and put them somewhere as a tribute to the wild animal they all loved and enjoyed sharing their city with.

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 or sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ss_alpenanews.com.