Classification
and Range
Elk
roam through western North America, Europe and central Asia. Before
the
1900s, North American elk populations ranged over most of the continent.
Of the original six subspecies of North American elk, only four remain
and reside between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.
Habitat
Currently, Roosevelt
elk inhabit Pacific coastal rain forests and mountains, as well as
the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains. This subspecies also
lives on the Alaskan islands, where they summer above timberline
and winter in dense spruce forests, in lower valleys or on the beaches.
Seasonal requirements of food, water, shelter and reproductive activity
affect elk migration. During summer, elk may move upland to snow
fields, to areas of stronger breezes or into water. Mountainous winter
conditions of snow, flood, or rain drive elk to lower elevations. |
Physical
Characteristics
Roosevelt elk are the largest of North American elk, with a powerful
physique that enables them to swim, break through deep snow and climb
into high elevations. Adult male elk (bulls) average 875 pounds (398
kg). Adult female elk (cows) average 700 pounds (318 kg). Mature
bulls average 5 feet (1.5 m) tall at the shoulder and 8-9 feet (2.4
-2.7 m) in length. The antlers of Roosevelt elk are thick and have
vertical points, with a distinctive crown or three-point tip. Their
antlers average 4 feet (1.2 m) in length. Research reports huge racks
up to 6 feet (1.8 m) long and weighing 40 pounds (18 kg).
Coloration of Roosevelt elk is darker than other
elk. They have a dark brown to black neck, light brown to tan
body, and beige to white rump patch. Elk replace their coats
twice yearly. In the spring, they produce a lighter, reddish
summer coat; in the autumn, their coat is darker and denser for
winter. |
Life
Span
Females average 19-21 years, males average 16
years. In captivity, elk live 18-22 years. |
Diet
In the wild: Elk eat high quantity, low quality
and varied diet of plants, such as grasses, shrubs, herbs, saplings
and bark. They tend to focus on three or four key plants.
At the zoo: Keepers
feed them herbivore pellets, carrots, yams, apples, romaine
and alfalfa hay. The elk also eat the grass and leaves in their
exhibit. |
Reproduction or "In
a Rut"
Females reach sexual maturity around two years,
while males take three to four years. Young bulls rarely have a chance
to mate, since mature bulls 7 to 10 years old dominate the reproductive
scene. During rut season in September to October, testosterone levels
in bulls rise dramatically and they fight to gain breeding access to
females. Fights consist of clashing antlers, while driving the opponent
back and forth.
Meanwhile,
females quietly feed and seem uninterested in all this activity;
they eventually favor bulls with large antlers. The successful bull
acquires a "harem" of
cows. He diligently herds, mates and keeps other bulls from the harem.
Life Cycle
In late spring or early summer, after a gestation period
of 8 1/2 months, the female moves away from the herd. She gives birth
to a single calf that weighs an average of 33 pounds (15 kg). The calf
nurses intensively for 2 1/2 months and grows rapidly, doubling its
weight within two weeks of birth. Elk calves remain hidden for the
first few
weeks and instinctively "drop and freeze" when faced with
danger. By mid-summer, groups of calves and their mothers rejoin the
herd.
Elk herds consist of females and their offspring,
in groups of 20-30 individuals. Elk spend much of their day seeking,
eating, and digesting food with main feeding times at dawn and dusk.
Adult males live alone or in small male groups, except during rut,
when they join female herds.
Elk in History
For Native Americans, elk provided food, clothing, bone implements,
weapons, sources of spiritualism, and items for decoration or trade.
The journals of Lewis and Clark contain at least 570 references
to elk. Their expedition depended on elk meat during their 1805-6
winter spent along the Pacific coast. Elk skin provided the explorers
with clothing and footwear for their return trip.
|
Fascinating
Facts
- During the 1930s, elk teeth were widely
sought for use in ornaments and even by dentists for false
teeth!
- While many people are interested in viewing
the rut, much of elk breeding activity occurs at night in
inaccessible thick forests. During rut, bulls are very aggressive
and dangerous to approach!
- Fossil finds trace an elk subspecies back
to the Pleistocene period one million years ago!
|
The zoo's
Roosevelt elk live in the award-winning Northern Trail exhibit. The
best viewing spots are behind the gray wolf exhibit near the entrance
to the Northern Trail , and at the end of the boardwalk past the
eagle exhibit.
Elk play an important conservation role
in old growth forests. They clear impenetrable tangles of vegetation
in the forest understory. This enables a wide variety of plants and
animals to flourish, while simultaneously promoting a dependable
food supply for the elk.
While
not listed as endangered, elk face many dangers. Their natural predators
include cougars, black and
brown bears and gray wolves. Predators usually kill young and old
elk. Disease, starvation and winter hardships also kill elk. An estimated
10 million elk lived in North America before the 1500s, but their
population dwindled to less than 100,000 by 1907. Hunters targeted
elk for trophy antlers, elk "ivory" and meat. Elk antlers
are also collected or stolen, then ground up and sold as traditional
Asian medicines. Road building and logging decreases habitat for
elk, and provides hunters easier access to elk. In 1904, the original
name proposed for the Olympic National Park was "Elk National
Park." The
primary goal of the park was to rescue elk herds from near extinction.
In the 1990s, a census therein estimated the park population at 5,000.
Throughout North America, elk populations have increased to sustainable
levels from near extinction at the end of the 1900s.
How You Can Help!
The effort to save mammals requires cooperation and support at the
regional, national and international levels. You can help in this
cause. Join and become active in a conservation organization of
your choice. Don’t buy products made from wild animal parts.
Tell your elected representatives on the national, state and local
levels about the importance of preserving wild habitats and endangered
species.
Contact Woodland Park Zoo at webkeeper@zoo.org about supporting
conservation programs at the zoo. Learn other ways you can help
conserve wildlife and habitats by visiting our How You Can Help page.
Sources and Suggested Reading
Bauer, Erwin A. 1995. Elk: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation.
Voyageur Press. Stillwater, MN.Moorhead, Bruce B. 1994.
The
Forest Elk: Roosevelt Elk in Olympic National Park. Hindy's
Enterprise, Hong Kong. Thomas, Jack Ward & Dale E.
Toweill,
eds. 1982. Elk of North America: Ecology and Management.
Stackpole Books. Harrisburg, PA.
For Kids!
Guiberson, Brenda Z. 1997. Teddy Roosevelt's
Elk, Henry Holt & Co. New York, NY.
More References
* Taxonomic classification varies between
references. Classification information used in this fact sheet was
taken from Wilson, Don E. and Reeder, DeeAnn M. 1993. Mammal Species
of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, 2nd edition.
Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D. C. 1206 p.
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Classification
and Range
