This elk herd was not in a rut.

A video of hundreds of elk sprinting across a Montana highway during a 30-second span is earning praise and wonder from animal and nature lovers.

On Monday, The Montana Daily shared extraordinary footage showing hundreds of elk sprinting across a highway in a straight line for a half minute.

“Between Townsend and Three Forks yesterday,” The Montana Daily wrote in an Instagram post. “One of the most wild videos you will see. That herd of elk is truly amazing.”

There are approximately 150,000 elk in Montana. It was unclear what got the herd moving, but the animals followed their leader and created a continuous black line as they crossed a highway from one field to another.

The herd’s rapid movement was not lost on the motorists navigating the road. Elk are capable of running at speeds up to 40 mph, so the motorists depicted in the video on opposite sides of the herd were wise to use caution and let the animals sprint by.

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