Wild Elk Tries To Get In On Dogs' Playtime But One Thing Helps 'Make It Magic' (& Keeps Everyone Safe)

Few things warm the heart quite like watching animals of different species running together. In a touching video shared on YouTube by We Love Animals — which has been viewed more than 244,000 times so far — a majestic elk runs along the outside of a long fence while two dogs cavort energetically inside the fence. As the three animals race back and forth, occasionally stopping to wait for one of the others to catch up, their sheer joy at running together is evident.

"It's a magical place!" one viewer exclaimed, while another observed, "It's the FENCE that makes it magic 😵‍💫." Netizens couldn't get enough of these heartwarming interspecies friendships. One wrote, "The joy they are experiencing discovering each other in a celebratory fashion is absolutely beautiful," and another person commented, "Seeing a wild elk be this gentle with tiny dogs honestly restored a little bit of my faith in the world. Animals understand kindness better than most humans do sometimes."

Many viewers of the YouTube video pointed out that elk can be extremely dangerous and that it's foolish — not to mention risky — to expect any wild animal to behave the way we would like it to. One person wrote sarcastically, "😂😂😂yeah people think nature is a Disney movie," and another shared, "I live in elk country. They are massive, powerful beasts, and those antlers are several feet across!" Elk can weigh up to 700 pounds, run 40 miles per hour, and leap 8 feet in the air, and they have been known to attack people and dogs without warning. Female elk can be particularly aggressive during the springtime calving season, and males are dangerously unpredictable during the autumn rutting season.

Several netizens pointed out that the elk in the video could have easily leaped over the fence, but it chose to frolic with the dogs instead. One person theorized, "They know each other. Guarantee this is not the first time they've played this game." Another person wrote, "I've seen dogs make friends with and play with stags and moose before. There are loads of interspecies friendships out there."

Want to see more examples of animal friendships that will warm your heart? Check out this cow giving kisses to its golden retriever best friend, and this German shepherd mix who loves to give gentle boops to his koi fish friends.