Thirty-five elk escaped from a private elk ranch in Sisters on Wednesday morning, through fences that Oregon State Police have determined were deliberately cut.

All 35 elk have been recovered and returned, unharmed to Patterson Ranch.

The Oregon State Police is investigating the incident. Anyone with information is urged to contact Sergeant David Pond at 388-6213.

Two fences, both of which were cut, keep the elk inside the ranch boundaries. Of the 35 elk, 27 managed to escape through both fences, while eight were only able to get through the first fence before being captured and moved back into the interior of the facility.

The animals were recovered three quarters of a mile from the ranch and herded back by ranch staff, with the help of Steven George, ODFW district biologist. According to George, the elk were not likely to have interacted with any wild elk or domestic cattle while outside the ranch boundaries.

Oregon is home to several elk ranches that raise the animals for commercial purposes. The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission recently organized an advisory group to review the state's administrative rules governing elk ranching. The group will meet for the first time in April.