Wild Elk Delights 2 Young Boys by Joining Them for a Game of Backyard Soccer — Watch!

“It was pretty incredible,” said the boys’ mom, who recorded the exchange at her Evergreen, Colorado, home

Move over, Lionel Messi, there’s a new soccer star in town — on four legs!

Last month, a group of elk in Evergreen, Colorado, stumbled into a backyard where two young boys were in the middle of a game of soccer — and one decided to join in.

In a video of the May 13 exchange, captured by the brothers’ mom, Shira Moffatt, the curious elk stands just a few yards away from the boys, ages 12 and 16, on a hill above their driveway, where their goal is set up.

After the unexpected player receives a pass from one of the boys, it briefly inspects the red soccer ball before kicking it back lightly, causing it to roll down the hill back to the brothers.

“This is hilarious,” someone says off-camera as the boy not fielding the elk’s pass smiles into the lens.

Related: Calif. Family Spots Pet Donkey Missing 5 Years Living with an Elk Herd: He's a 'Wild Burro Now'

The other boy then throws the ball back up the hill to the elk who, seemingly unfazed by the humans it's playing with, happily continues the game of pass.

After it inspects and kicks the soccer ball back down the hill once more, the other boy gets in on the action, throwing the ball back up for another pass.

“It’s just funny how much fun it’s having,” the boy says of the elk, as someone off-camera chimes in, “It’s basically playing with you guys.”

“It knows what it’s doing,” they add.

Recalling how the sweet exchange began, Moffat told Storyful, “Our kids were playing soccer and kicked the ball up the hill where the elk were.”

“One of the elk took an interest and began to play with them,” she said, noting the unlikely trio played back and forth for a few minutes.

And while this was not the family’s first time experiencing elk near their home, it was the first time they’ve engaged with one like this, Moffat told Storyful.

"We do see elk quite a bit, but they have never played with us,” she said, adding, “It was pretty incredible.”

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And, according to an expert, the boys handled the “incredible” exchange very well.

A spokesperson for Colorado Parks and Wildlife told Denver outlet 9News that the kids kept a safe distance from the elk and were not harassing it, as they threw the ball near — not at — the curious creature.

The spokesperson also explained the elk’s behavior — the head-butting, stomping and kicking — noting that it was treating the red ball as it would small prey.

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