 |
The Tule Elk Herd
|
|
|
The Tule Elk herd in Point Reyes National Seashore is a wonderful environmental
success story. It is literally the story
of the return of a species from
the brink of extinction.
|
|
It is estimated that before the arrival of the European in California as many as 500,000 Tule Elk ranged through California. (Tule Elk Cervus elaphus nannodes is a sub species of elk found only in California.) At the beginning of the nineteenth century explorers sailing past Point Reyes noted large herds of these animals grazing on the open grasslands of the peninsula.
|
|
The discovery of gold in 1849 saw an overnight explosion of population in San Francisco as hords of people from all parts of the world passed through the area on their way to the gold fields further inland. Food to feed the new immigrants had to be obtained quickly and the elk were hunted rigorously.
|
|
In addition, in the middle of the nineteenth century, the grasslands of Point Reyes were largely converted to agricultural land and cattle were grazing the lands that had earlier supported the elk. By 1870 people living on the peninsula thought that they had seen their very last of these regal animals, but in 1874 Mr. Henry Miller discovered several Tule Elk in one of his fields. Fortunately he decided to protect the animals and by 1905 a herd of 140 existed and in the years following some of them were transported to other parts of California. Today there are a total of 22 Tule Elk herds in California with a total of over 3,000 animals in them. The largest single herd with approximately 500 animals is located in a 2,600 acre reserve on Tomales Point at the northern end of Point Reyes National Seashore.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|