Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-04-20
NATIVE ELK EXHIBITED
Lifelike Representation of Herd
Placed in National Museum.
Now Establishing In Wy
oming n Refuge Where Animals
May Feed in safety during
Winter.

family group Of American elk or
wapti from the Yellowstone National
park, has Just been put on exhibition In
the west wing of the new building for
the United States National Museum at
Washington, ID. G. The animals in this
exhibit We're especially collected for the
Smithsonian through the courtesy of the
interior department. from one of the
herds OF elk under government protection.
The group was prepared originally for
the Panama Pacific exposition at San
Francisco, and was exhibited there in
tho palace of agriculture, but has lately
been received a. Washington and placed
on exhibition.
This group shows a family Of elk in
the Yellowstone National park, at the
first SIGN Of winter. Snow has fallen
during the night while there was no wind,
and lies heavily on the pine boughs and
branches.
At this time, the bulls. which are in
their prime being muscular, vet grace
ful. take possession of the cows by
combat. There may be from one to %
cows to n herd which may or may not
be accompanied by their spring calves
This small band has been wandering care
lesSy about through the timber when
they hear from not far distant n 'chal-
lcnge." The COW has become concerned
IN the bulls sudden stop. and has her
attention divided between the disturbance
and her offspring. The calf, feeling the
mothers anxiety, waits dependently on
her next move
Although tho animals are shown In a
primo condition, they have yet to OBJ
tain their longer and thicker growth of
hair and heavy layers of fat which carry
them through the long, stormy winter,
when shelter and food are hard to find
American elk or wapiti, scientifically
termed cervus canadcnsis. which once
had a wide distribution in North Ameri-
ca. are now confined chiefly to the
States Of Wyoming. Montana. and Idaho,
and the provinces of Manitoba. Alberta.
and Saskatchewan, Canada. The largest
herds occur in the Yellowstone region.
numbering between $1,000 and 5000, dis.
tributed in two main herds. During the
sumner these herds range near the sum-
init of the continental divide in the park,
and I'm the mountains of Wyoming. I'M
mediatelv south. In the winter, tho
northern herd living in tho Park, number
ing between 5000 and 500, descends to
lower attitudes in the Lamar valley near
the northern entrance to the park. The
other herd numbering from 5000 to 81, =
go. moves down into Jackson Hole and
the surrounding foothills.
on account of the occupation Of their
former winter range by farms and settle
ments the elk herds are forced down from
the mountains to find sufficient food.
and in some of the past winters large
numbers have starved to death. Since
1870, however, these losses in Jackson
Hole have been averted by winter feeding
provided for through the direction of the
biological survey and the state Of Wyom-
ing. The Congress of the United States
has recently appropriated $4,000 for the
purchase of an elk refuge where suffi-
, cient hay can he raised each year for
feeding the herds during the winter. This
refuge comprising about 1000 acres, is
located in Jackson Hole, two miles north
Of the town of Jackson, Wyoming.
ELK are polygamous. and breed readily
in captivity The wild herds in Montana
and Wyoming bring In large returns to
these States. in the form Of hunting
licenses, guides fees, and money spent
by tuorists and sportsmen.
| During the past few years. experiments
have been made in transferring small
herds of elk from the Yellowstone park
and Jackson Hole to other localities for
the purpose of restocking government and
State reservation. About 1901 elk have
been so transferred to thirteen different
States
Many elk now in captivity are privately
| owned ard a census OF such elk is made
annually by the department of agricul-
turc through its biological survey. 1t Is
estimated that there are about 200 elk in
captivity in about l25 different places in
the United states: the total number. wild
and in captivity, in this country being
estimated at between $1,000 and l0o,0D,
Resides the group of elk in tho National
Museum. the Smithsonian institution is
in possession of other clk-lve ones
located in the nationa! geological park,
Just outside of the city OF Washing ON.
/ on the eastern side OF the park, In n
large paddock, thcre are ten of these
stately animals; all apparently contented
in captivity. 1t is reported that they
seem to thrive well, eating hay and grass
like domestic animals, and breed freely.
BAD HALE MINUTE.