Technologies

Elk with tire stuck around its neck for years finally freed

Wildlife officers in Colorado had been trying to track down the elk for two years.

Over the weekend, a bull elk in Colorado had a great weight taken away. The 600-pound (272-kilogram), 4.5-year-old elk had been wearing a tire around its neck for at least two years. Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers finally caught up to the animal, tranquilized it and removed the tire.

The officers had to cut off the elk’s antlers to get the tire off, but that’s not as horrifying as it sounds. Bull elks shed their antlers annually, so this one will just be ahead of the curve.

«We would have preferred to cut the tire and leave the antlers for his rutting activity, but the situation was dynamic and we had to just get the tire off in any way possible,» wildlife officer Scott Murdoch said in a statement on Monday.

Thanks to an alert from a local resident, the officers swung into action on Saturday and tracked the bull to where it was hanging out with a herd of about 40 animals.

The successful attempt came after a series of other tries. It took a few minutes to free the elk from its burden, reverse the sedation from the tranquilizer and let it rejoin its herd. The tire was full of wet pine needles and dirt, so the elk should be feeling quite a bit lighter after the removal.

The operation was a long time in coming. The elk first came to the attention of Colorado Parks and Wildlife back in mid-2019. A 2020 video detailed the elk’s predicament and efforts to track it down.

The officers reported the elk was in surprisingly good condition, with a little hair rubbed off and a small wound on its neck. «I was actually quite shocked to see how good it looked,» Murdoch said.

The elk isn’t the only wild animal to end up in a difficult situation. The agency said it has seen elk, moose, deer and bears entangled in everything from hammocks to holiday lighting to laundry baskets.

«The saga of this bull elk highlights the need for residents to live responsibly with wildlife in mind,» Colorado Parks and Wildlife said. «That includes keeping your property free of obstacles that wildlife can get tangled in or injured by.»

Technologies

Resident Evil Requiem Revealed, but Where’s Leon Kennedy?

The Resident Evil 9 trailer showed off a new character, but not the much-rumored return of Leon.

After a fake-out earlier in Summer Game Fest on Friday, Resident Evil Requiem, or Resident Evil 9, was shown for the first time.

The new title is the first mainline entry since Capcom released Resident Evil Village in 2021, and is rumored to feature series stalwart Leon Kennedy. In the trailer, the only person we saw was a character named Grace Ashcroft, who works for the FBI and appears to have ties to Raccoon City.

For the most hardcore Resident Evil fans, the name Ashcroft will ring a bell. Alyssa Ashcroft was one of the survivors of the online-only title, Resident Evil Outbreak for the PS2. Alyssa was a journalist who was trapped in Raccoon City during the events of Resident Evil 2, and she, along with other survivors, had to escape the city before it was destroyed.

Grace is Alyssa’s daughter, and in the trailer, she is going to visit the Remwood Hotel, where Alyssa was murdered. Later in the trailer, images from what appears to be the remnants of a destroyed Raccoon City are shown — including the police department from RE2 — so it appears Resident Evil 9 will return to where the series started.

Leon’s (rumored) return is a big deal for the series, which has made some of its best games with him in the starring role. He first showed up as a rookie cop in Resident Evil 2, which built on the original game’s success with more story and improved monsters and level design.

He showed up again in Resident Evil 4, which took the series in a new direction by introducing an over-the-shoulder perspective, instead of the usual static camera angles and tank controls. Leon was also one of several playable protagonists in Resident Evil 6, a game that seemed to forget about its survival horror roots. We mostly don’t talk about that one.

But the 2019 remake of Resident Evil 2 was an excellent return to form, bringing RE4’s gameplay and much better graphics to a fan-favorite entry. The RE4 remake was a similar success.

Resident Evil Requiem is set to drop Feb. 27, 2026, for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series consoles, but we’re hoping to get our hands on it this weekend. If you want to catch up on older Resident Evil games, Capcom is having a sale that includes basically all the games, including Village and the three remakes.

Technologies

The Switch 2 Is Here, and I’ve Scoured the Internet for Every Accessory Available Right Now

Technologies

T-Mobile’s Free Premium iPhone 16 Pro Deal Explained. Learn Exactly How It Works

Along with a free iPhone, you can get an extra $800 to pay off your old device.

If you’re starting a new cell phone plan, most major mobile carriers require a multiyear commitment so it’s a big decision you need to consider carefully. First, think about the plan and provider itself: What’s the best coverage in your area and how many lines do you want to add? Next, compare the best mobile phone plan deals to save yourself the most money

T-Mobile has some fantastic deals right now you can take advantage of that make it a pretty competitive pick — especially for Apple fans looking to upgrade.

T-Mobile’s incentives include free lines and streaming services but one huge highlight is the chance to snag the top-rated iPhone 16 Pro free. The language on some of these offers can be a little confusing so we’ve broken down how T-Mobile’s current deals work below. Note that there aren’t any set expirations for these offers so they could vanish at any moment. We wouldn’t wait too long if you’re hoping to take advantage of these savings.

Why these deals matter

You more or less need a phone with reliable coverage these days but costs can add up quickly. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your mobile device or shopping for the best family plans, these T-Mobile deals can help save you some serious cash each month.