'Unicorn' caught on trail camera at Arizona national park

Nov. 17 (UPI) -- A "unicorn" caught on trail camera at Arizona's Petrified Forest National Park was a yearling male elk that prematurely lost one of its antlers.

The park said in a Facebook post that yearling male elk typically grow their first set of antlers as "single beams," and the elk recorded by the trail camera had apparently lost one of his.

"The shedding of antlers typically occurs in late winter or early spring, but early antler loss can result from sparring, poor nutrition, or disease/injuries that affect testosterone levels," the post said.

Park officials joked the elk, which was recorded on a nighttime stroll under the full moon, was a mythical creature.

"The full moon brings out the park's unicorns," the post said.

"With the next full moon occurring on November 27th, we'll be sure to watch for... Pegasuses?! Pegasi?! Whatever the plural term is for flying horses is," officials wrote.