Photo: CTV

Vancouver Island conservation officers say an elk that was freed from tangled ropes last year has done it again, this time getting caught up in a deflated inner tube.

The tagged animal has been seen near Youbou, and officers may have to tranquilize it again to get the tube off its antlers.

“This particular elk was darted last year because at the same time last year, he had a tarp and ropes wrapped up and around his neck and head,” Sgt. Scott Norris told CTV.

“Another bull was maybe challenging him, that’s why he was flipping stuff, and that’s probably what he did earlier to get that tube in his antlers,” said Denis Martel of Youbou Wilderness Watch.

Group member Sandy Peters says people should think about what they leave lying around.

“They’re pushing their way through, and they’ve got this great rack of horns that get tangled up in anything," said Peters.

– with files from CTV Vancouver Island