American Elk
Rarely have I seen such beautiful elk as we have here at Bear Country. I'm sure it's because they have abundant feed and are well looked after by the caretakers, and have no predators. At this time of year, mating season, the females and the males are separated. It becomes necessary because they are quite aggressive towards each other and may also do some damage to cars in the drive-through! The first picture is a bull earlier in the season. The second photo, of the cow elk, is recent, after the separation. You can see a baby there, with spots. I had never seen a calf elk before. These animals are quite majestic and impressive. For now, the cows are roaming around with the buffalo and the miniature donkeys, but will soon be reunited with their male counterparts, and with the reindeer who share their enclosure. Click on the photos to see an enlargement. You can see the spots on the baby!
Rarely have I seen such beautiful elk as we have here at Bear Country. I'm sure it's because they have abundant feed and are well looked after by the caretakers, and have no predators. At this time of year, mating season, the females and the males are separated. It becomes necessary because they are quite aggressive towards each other and may also do some damage to cars in the drive-through! The first picture is a bull earlier in the season. The second photo, of the cow elk, is recent, after the separation. You can see a baby there, with spots. I had never seen a calf elk before. These animals are quite majestic and impressive. For now, the cows are roaming around with the buffalo and the miniature donkeys, but will soon be reunited with their male counterparts, and with the reindeer who share their enclosure. Click on the photos to see an enlargement. You can see the spots on the baby!
2 comments:
The antlers look so smooth, almost like they were still in velvet...but I can't tell. Was the bull in velvet? Those are awesome photos! I'll show them to Adam; he'll love them. (It sounds like these particular elk don't have to worry about hunters like him, so they're in luck!)
Hi!
Yes, this elk is still in velvet. Their antlers are much bigger now.
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