A remarkable elk, affectionately named Emil, who captivated Central Europe with his extensive travels this summer, has been safely captured and released by Austrian wildlife officials. The young male elk was tranquilized on Monday near the village of Sattledt in Upper Austria after venturing perilously close to a motorway. Following the intervention, Emil was equipped with a GPS tracking device and released near the Czech-Austrian border, close to the Sumava forest in South Bohemia. It remains uncertain whether Czech authorities were involved in the operation. The Sumava forest, home to an estimated 10-20 elk, is now Emil’s new habitat, where it is hoped he will settle rather than continue his wanderings. Emil’s journey began on June 2 near Ludgerovice in the Czech Republic, where he was first sighted after crossing from Poland. Over the summer, he traversed approximately 500 kilometers across four countries—Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Austria—visiting 60 towns and villages. His adventures included crossing roads, railways, and even swimming across the River Danube. Emil became a social media sensation, with numerous photos and videos shared online and at least three Facebook groups dedicated to him, amassing nearly 50,000 members. Elk were once native to Czech forests but were hunted to extinction in the Middle Ages. Reintroduction efforts have been ongoing since the 1970s, with the current Czech elk population estimated at around 50, significantly fewer than Poland’s tens of thousands.