The Elk of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Cataloochee
The Cataloochee Valley, in the Smoky Mountains National Park in Western North Carolina, is home to the elk - my favorite animal.
Elk are gentle creatures, like me. In the Great Smoky Mountains National Park the rangers released elk in February 2001 in a section known as Cataloochee. (There is Big Cataloochee and Little Cataloochee). The Park Service brought in 25 elk from land between Tennessee and Kentucky and another 27 from Canada. The elk have radio collars (as you can see in the photos) so they can be monitored by the Park Service.
Elk once roamed the southern Appalachian Mountains. Elk in North Carolina were last seen in the late 1700's. Well, that is until now. The National Park Service wants to protect animals so that is why they brought back elk to the land that they love.
  | Size and Weight - Adult males can weigh 600-700 pounds. Females, called cows, weigh about 500 pounds. That is a lot to me because I only weight 84 pounds. Adult elk are 7-10 feel long and stand about 5 feet tall. The male elk have antlers that can be 5 feet wide.
Babies - The female elk (cows) have one baby (calf) each year. The little babies weigh less than me when they are first born - only 35 pounds. They stand up and try to walk just minutes after they are born. Isn't this cool? They are a little wobbly when they first try to walk. Longevity - Elks can live as long as 15 years. |
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Practice Patience and Respect
Elk are large animals. You don't know them and they don't know you. Never get too close and never try to touch an elk, especially the elk calves. If you are a dog, stay in the car and be quiet. Elk seem calm and gentle, like me, but their mother is always nearby and she won't like it if you get too close.
Please practice core values of character education when watching the elk. Respect them and allow them to act in their natural way in the Park.
Watching the Elk Outside the Ranger's House
The elk in this photo were grazing in the open grassy field near the forest ranger's house. It is so funny to see these large animals calmly walking, standing, and eating next to someone's house. I stayed in the car and looked out the window so I wouldn't scare them.
