Reintroduction of Elk into the Great Smoky Mountains.
One of the most important aspects of the National Park Service is to conserve the plants and animals on the native land. Sometimes when a native species is has disappeared, the park sometimes reintroduces them. Along with the recent elk, the Smoky Mountains has also reintroduced three species of fish, the Peregrine Falcon, and the river otter.
The southern Appalachian Mountains and the eastern U.S. used to be home to elk. Their population was diminished by hunting and loss of habitat. The last elk in Tennessee is believed to have died in the mid-1800s. By the 1900s, conservation societies were worried that the elk were headed for extinction.
In February, 2001 the Smoky Mountains started the reintroduction of elk mission. The Park imported 24 elk from the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area that borders Tennessee and Kentucky. Along with the initial 24, the Park intends to bring 25-30 more elk each year. The Park plans on a five year process, where all of the elk are monitored but a radio collar. Though the Park is not expecting major damage to the park from the elk, if there are problems the project will be temporarily stopped and action will be taken. In association with the Park Service, there are six major partners. These include The University of Tennessee, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the Great Smoky Mountains Natural History Association, Parks Canada, and the U.S.G.S. Biological Resources Division.
Elk will be the largest animal in the Park, even bigger than the Black Bear. Elk are territorial and can be dangerous. The males may see humans as in there territory and charge them, while the females may charge people if they have calves present as a reaction to protection. The best advice to tourists is to keep a fairly large distance from the elk. If there is a lone calf chances are the mother is near. It is illegal to feed the wildlife and also dangerous.
Interestingly, sentiment ran strongly in favor of the reintroduction. ... Why is the NWF fighting so hard to reinstate the wolves into Yellowstone National Park? ... Elk kills are more common around Yellowstone. ... Even highland vegetation, no longer chewed up by hungry elk, is expected to start making a come back. ... The reintroduction of predators may help check population explosions. ...
Wild life such as elk, caribou, and other natural pray to wolves were left unmanaged for lack of their natural predator. ... The Endangered Species Act led to the reintroduction of wolves in Paradise Valley. ... Almost twenty years later, fourteen wolves were captured in Canada and reintroduced into different parts of Yellowstone National Park. ... The reintroduction of wolves have brought order to the natural environment, but is still a work in progress with ranchers. The elk and caribou population has been brought down to a manageable level, due to the wolves reintroduction into the wildern...
Since 1989 the Interior Appropriations Acts have given out amounts ranging from nothing to $498,000 for the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone and central Idaho. ... One year later 37 wolves were captured in Canada and moved to the same reintroduction sites. 20 were released into Idaho and the other 17 were put into acclimation pens for several weeks and then released into Yellowstone. ... The FWS has released a total of 41 wolves into the Yellowstone area and 35 wolves into central Idaho. ... It has been so successful in fact, that the Secretary of the Interior canceled further rei...
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible neurological disease that affects deer and elk. ... (Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance) States that have already found deer or elk that have tested positive for CWD include Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Illinois, and Wisconsin. All of which have relatively high concentrations of deer and elk. ... Also the reintroduction of wolves into the Adirondacks has also been considered. ...