Tule Elk

Point Reyes National Seashore is one of 22 sites in California that manage Tule elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes) populations and the only National Park unit where this species of elk can be found. Tule elk are endemic to California, meaning they are found only in this state. This species of elk is considered to be the smallest of any found in North America and typically lived amongst the tules in native grasslands and marshes. This species once roamed a large portion of the state, but due to hunting pressures and large scale cattle farming they were nearly brought to extinction in the late 1800s. In 1874, fewer than 30 animals remained in a single herd near Bakersfield, which were discovered by a rancher named Henry Miller. All of the estimated 3,900 tule elk present in California today derived from this small remnant herd, thanks to initial conservation efforts. By 1978, 10 animals (8 females and 2 males) were transplanted from a herd in the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge near Los Baños to their new home at Tomales Point. Further conservation efforts resulted in an additional free-ranging herd being established in 1998, where 28 animals were moved from the preserve at Tomales Point to the wilderness area south of Limantour Beach.
The majestic animals you see as you travel through the park embody the restoration of the dominant native herbivore to the California coastal ecosystem. They shape the landscape around them as they did for centuries before they were extirpated by humans. They symbolize the conservation of native species and ecosystem processes, one of the primary missions of the National Park Service. ~http:--www.ptreyes.org-activities-tule-elk

Taken on Sir Francis Drake Blvd. just above Pierce Point Ranch at the Point Reyes National Seashore in Inverness, CA.
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