GSMNP - October 7, 2002 -- Biologists at Great Smoky Mountains National Park have announced their decision not to import any additional elk in 2003 to add to the almost 60 already roaming the Smokies. Their decision is based upon a combination of good survival and low dispersal by the previously released animals and a lack of available elk from the Park's preferred source herd in Canada.
In 2000 and 2001 a total of 52 elk were brought into the Smokies and later released into the Cataloochee Valley area of Haywood County, NC. These former inhabitants of the Smokies are being monitored by biologists as part of a five-year experiment to find out if a permanent reintroduction is feasible. The experiment's overall plan calls for three groups of elk totaling about 75 animals to be brought in over the first three years of the project. The Park biologists have decided not to bring in the 3rd group in 2003, but still may decide to release more animals in 2004.
According to the Park's Wildlife Biologist, Kim DeLozier, "Our decision not to bring in more elk until at least 2004 is partly a reflection that we have not had nearly the attrition we expected from the animals we have brought in. Out of a total of 52 animals released here over the first two years of the project only five have died and none have wandered out of the Park permanently."
Necropsies were performed on the elk that died and all were found to be negative for diseases of concern including brucelosis, tuberculosis and Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). Three apparently died from malnutrition, probably due to the stress of captivity during their acclimation period in the Smokies. One animal was euthanized when it showed symptoms of a parasitic brainworm. The fifth elk was shot by biologists when it left the Park and took up residence in a cattle pasture and could not be re-captured using tranquilizer darts.
Managers have decided not to bring in the third group in 2003 because the herd at Elk Island National Park in Alberta Canada will not have any surplus animals available. The Park prefers to obtain accept elk that originate from Elk Island because the elk population there has been isolated from other deer or elk for decades and has been closely monitored for disease. Project biologists feel that those factors greatly minimize the risk of bringing in animals infected with brucelosis, TB or CWD.
"For this next year we will be kept pretty busy radio-tracking and observing the 50-plus adult elk we have already on the ground, along with between five and eight of their offspring that have been born in the Smokies," DeLozier continued.
By the end of 2001 biologists had confirmed that four calves, three males and a female, had survived their first critical months, with two other calves believed to have been lost to predators. One of these four, the only female, was found dead in Cataloochee last month from unknown causes. Her body was taken to The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine for a necropsy, which so far has not isolated the cause of her death.
This summer at least two elk calves are confirmed to have survived with at least one more having been taken by a bear or bears. Biologists also suspect that there may have been up to 3 more calves that have survived that have not been sighted yet.
"Overall we are very pleased with the progress of the elk project, including the reproductive success, especially since none of the elk brought in had been exposed to bears or other predators in their former homes." DeLozier concluded, "And we would expect that, as they have more experience with predators, these cows will get more savvy about how to conceal and protect their calves in years to come."
