Photo / National Park Service Roosevelt Elk SafetyĪs the largest subspecies of North American elk (bulls can weigh as much as 1,200 pounds), Roosevelt elk are a majestic sight, but can pose hazards depending on the season. Park staff respond to any reports of close encounters between elk and humans. They may be encountered in virtually all habitat types including forests, prairies, along Redwood Creek gravel bars, and on the beaches.Įlk management in Redwood National and State Parks mainly consists of keeping track of herds seasonally, especially during calving season (late May through June), and during the fall rut (late August through October), when elk are more likely to become aggressive toward humans. In Redwood National and State Parks, Roosevelt elk may be seen anywhere from Freshwater Lagoon to just south of the Klamath River and north of the Klamath near Crescent Beach and Crescent Beach Education Center. The other herds range in size from approximately 10 to 50 animals. The Bald Hills herd is by far the largest in parks, numbering around 250 animals. By 2018, an elk herd had moved into Orick, CA. General herd locations are the Crescent Beach area, Gold Bluffs Beach and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, Elk Meadow, Lower Redwood Creek, park lands in the Orick Valley, and the Bald Hills. Seven elk herds call Redwood National and State Parks home, although at times these herds become loose aggregations of smaller groups. Today Roosevelt elk in California persist only in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties, and western Siskiyou County. The Roosevelt elk ( Cervus elaphus roosevelti ), is the largest of the six recognized subspecies of elk in North America they once occurred from southern British Columbia south to Sonoma County, California. Her story is a great reminder of the need to coexist safely with wildlife and to let wild animals remain wild.Photo / National Park Service Roosevelt Elk For her safety and the community, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists tried relocating Buttons to a more remote area, but she wasn’t able to integrate with the wild elk herds in 2019 Woodland Park Zoo became her new home. Her story is a great reminder of the need to let wildlife stay wild.īuttons came to Woodland Park Zoo from the wild after gaining notoriety several years ago in the area between Ellensburg and Cle Elum where residents-believing she was orphaned-began feeding her, petting her and even putting kids onto her back. She joined our herd several years ago after humans-believing she was orphaned-began feeding her. Huckleberry, Holly, and Buttons are Rocky Mountain and Lily and Willow are Roosevelt.īuttons is 10 years old. Two subspecies of elk range in Washington state: Roosevelt elk, which are primarily on the west side of the Cascades, and Rocky Mountain elk, which are primarily on the east side. The expansive elk meadow in the zoo’s Living Northwest Trail is designed to offer visitors an opportunity to view wolves in the foreground to help teach visitors about the critical predator-prey relationship between elk and wolves in their natural habitat.
Huckleberry and Holly are getting to know all the members of their herd. Although the male is young, Huckleberry is already presenting behavior like a bull both in his posture and attempts to dominate the cows, that is until they put him in his place.”
“Huckleberry and Holly appear calm and confident. After losing our sole male, Goodwyn, last summer, we’re back to a natural grouping with the addition of a new male,” said Pat Owen, an animal care manager at Woodland Park Zoo. “We’re very fortunate to grow our herd so visitors to Woodland Park Zoo can learn about natural elk behavior and see how they socialize. Last summer, the zoo mourned the loss of its only male elk, Goodwyn (good-win), who died at 20 years old due to geriatric-related issues.įor now, Holly and her half-brother are smaller than the other elk in the herd. In addition to Huckleberry and Holly, the zoo is home to females Lily, Willow and Buttons. The new elk bring the herd to a total of five individuals. Both elk, who are half-siblings, were born at Dakota Zoo in Bismarck, N.D. Woodland Park Zoo’s herd of elk just got bigger with the addition of a new male, Huckleberry, and female, Holly. Photos: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo
0 kommentar(er)
