Elk

Elk (Cervus canadensis, also called wapiti) are the second largest deer in the world, after the moose, and are among the largest land mammals in their native range. They have thick bodies, slender legs and short tails. Adults stand 0.75-1.5 m at the shoulder and measure 1.6-2.7 m from nose to tail.

Males are bigger, weighing 178-497 kg, while females weigh 171-292 kg. Bulls carry large antlers with around six tines each. In summer the coat is more reddish with a darker head, neck and legs, and in winter it turns greyer or lighter. Elk have a small, clearly defined pale rump patch.

They live in open woodland, forest edges, boreal forest, upland moors, mountains and grasslands, from central Asia through Siberia and east Asia, and across North America. They are listed as least concern by the IUCN.

The word elk first meant the moose, which had vanished from Britain by the end of the first millennium. Settlers in the New World moved the name to this other large deer, and the moose took an Algonquian name. The alternative name wapiti comes from a Shawnee and Cree word meaning white rump.

Elk were long thought to be a subspecies of the European red deer, but DNA studies show they are separate species. They are actually closer kin to Thorold's deer and sika deer. Members of the genus Cervus, early relatives of the elk, first appear in the fossil record about 25 million years ago in Eurasia.

In the Late Pleistocene elk ranged right across Eurasia, as far west as France. Small groups lingered in southern Sweden and the Alps until around 3000 years ago. North America once held an estimated 10 million before European colonisation, and about one million remained by 2014. Eastern elk and Merriam's elk are extinct, and elk have since been reintroduced to many US states. Introduced elk in Argentina and New Zealand are now considered invasive, and in New Zealand they have interbred with red deer.

Elk are among the most sociable deer. Summer herds can reach 400 animals. For most of the year adult males and females live in separate herds, with cows in larger groups and bulls in small groups or alone.

In the mating season, which may begin in late August, bulls bugle - a loud series of whistles, bellows and screams that can reach 4000 Hz. They also posture, wrestle with their antlers and dig wallows to roll in. Dominant bulls guard harems of 20 cows or more. Cows give an alarm bark, and calves scream when attacked.

Elk feed mostly in the mornings and evenings and rest in sheltered spots between. In spring they migrate to higher ground, following the retreating snow, and return downhill in autumn. One Yellowstone area migration covers up to 270 km.

Elk live 20 years or more in captivity but average 10 to 13 years in the wild, or around 15 in some subspecies with less predation.

At least 53 parasite species have been found in elk, though most rarely cause significant deaths. Brainworm, liver fluke and the nematode Dictyocaulus viviparus can be fatal. Chronic wasting disease, caused by a prion, affects the brain and has been found throughout their North American range. No risks to humans have been documented from it. Brucellosis occasionally affects elk in the Greater Yellowstone area and has spread to horses and cattle. Elk hoof disease causes deformed or missing hooves and severe lameness, and appears highly contagious. A study of captive elk found gastrointestinal parasites and bacterial infections, mostly pneumonia, behind most deaths.

This is general awareness only, not veterinary advice. If you find an injured or unwell wild animal, contact a vet or a wildlife rescue.

What is an elk?

It is a large deer, also called a wapiti, native to North America and Central and East Asia. It is the second largest deer species after the moose.

How long do elk live?

They average 10 to 13 years in the wild, and 20 years or more in captivity. Some subspecies facing less predation average about 15 years in the wild.

Are elk the same as red deer?

No. They were long thought to be one species, but DNA studies show they are distinct. Elk have a wider rump patch and paler antlers.

Do elk carry diseases that spread to other animals?

Yes. Elk can pass infectious diseases to and from livestock. Brucellosis has spread from elk to horses and cattle, though bison are more likely to spread it. Chronic wasting disease has not been shown to threaten cattle.

What do elk eat?

They are ruminants with four-chambered stomachs and mainly graze grasses and sedges, but also browse leaves, twigs and bark. They eat about 9.1 kg of vegetation daily.

Bull antlers can grow 2.5 cm a day and are covered in soft velvet while growing. They are shed each year as testosterone falls in late winter and early spring.

Bugling is unusually high-pitched for such a big animal, made by blowing air through the nasal cavities. Calves are born spotted and lose their spots by the end of summer, weighing around 16 kg at birth.

The Lakota admired elk, and men played courting flutes imitating a bugling bull. The Rocky Mountain elk is the official state animal of Utah. Elk meat is lean and higher in protein than beef or chicken.