On Sept. 9, an elk was spotted on Shannon Drive in Iowa City—that is, if “spotted” is the right word. As if a 750-pound beast with antlers spreading out four feet would be difficult to detect. And, since we are not living in the 1880’s, elk are an extremely rare sight in Iowa. The Iowa DNR notes that there are only five or ten elk observed in the state every year, generally having wandered away from their herds in Nebraska or South Dakota. An article on the Shannon Drive sighting posed an interesting question: what should you do if you see an elk?

First of all, of course, you should be very surprised. You are not supposed to see an elk. It’s like seeing a Sherman tank coming at you in your lane on the highway. At first, you can’t believe your eyes.

Secondly, if you do see an elk, try to be understanding. The big guy is lost and he’s a long way from home. He’s probably confused, embarrassed and maybe a little angry. He’s like a dad on vacation who got turned around and now refuses to ask for directions. Even if you could point him toward South Dakota, the best thing is to just leave him alone.

Also, do not shoot an elk. It’s illegal and will get you a $1,000 fine. If the elk is in your yard, eating your tomatoes, let him. He’s hungry and he’s three times bigger than a deer. If you try to shoo him away, he might decide to stomp you into the ground like a tent stake. Call the DNR. They usually don’t have to handle anything more challenging than a disgruntled groundhog and wrangling a giant elk will give them valuable experience.

In the pioneer days and before, when Iowa was mostly prairie, the elk belonged here. And the few humans who also lived there, did their best to fit in. Since then, people have transformed the landscape to suit themselves, replacing prairie with concrete and cities and now many native species would find Iowa a strange and inhospitable place. The last time an elk native to Iowa was spotted was 1871.

Herds of bison once thundered across the grasslands of northwestern Iowa. But no more. The barn owl once thrived in Iowa but now with its forests stripped away, it is on the endangered species list. Today, a barn owl is a rare sight. You can tell if it’s a real barn owl because it doesn’t give a hoot. It shrieks and hisses. (And who could blame it?)

The Great Plains Skink is a lizard about a foot long, also on the endangered species list. It has survived cats and quick-fingered 8-year-old boys by using a special stunt. It can escape by detaching its tail, which it miraculously grows back.

The spotted skunk is endangered in Iowa but has a peculiar defense against humans. When threatened, it performs a handstand. This sounds cute, but you don’t want to ever see it because the next thing is does is let loose with a reeking, throat-tightening spray, like burning rubber, so horrible it makes regular skunk spray smell like fabric softener. It’s a nasty trick for a little skunk. Just be glad elks can’t do it.