It is illegal to keep an elk in a backyard sandbox.

The Law

This highly specific piece of legal lore purportedly sprang up when an eccentric resident tried to domesticate a massive elk and keep it contained in a child's sandbox. Given the sheer size of the animal and the obvious public safety hazard, lawmakers supposedly drafted an ordinance explicitly forbidding sandbox-dwelling livestock. While it sounds like an urban legend, it reflects the very real restrictions on keeping native big game as pets in residential zones.