Record #:

43206

Author(s):

Josh Leventhal

Abstract:

The author discusses the reintroduction of 52 Manitoban Elk in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park as a means to reestablish elf populations in the area that have not been around for the past 200 years. This was an experimental program to see if the area can sustain an elk population. This experiment was deemed a success when the elk populations began to increase and started moving outside Great Smoky Mountain National Park lands and the Creation of the William H. Silver Game Land. The William H. Silver Game Land consists of 2,030 acres that borders the national park and the herd are watched over by the Commission, National Park Service, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. In the beginning stages of the experiment there was a concern of black bears eating the newly born calves but over time the female elks learned to give birth up higher in the mountains to protect from black bear attacks. National Park Services looks after the herd within the park. The commission and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians looks over the herd that fall outside of the national park.

Source:

Wildlife in North Carolina (NoCar SK 431 W54x), Vol. 85 Issue 6, November-December 2021, p13-15

Subject(s):

Wildlife; Wildlife conservation; Wildlife Education; Wildlife conservation programs; WILDLIFE IN NORTH CAROLINA (Magazine); Elk