South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-01-11
Is Real PoIygamouS Animal.
Each Bull Gathering Small
Herd of Cows Each Fall.

"a tragedy that all lovers OF wild
life. big game. and noble animals
have feared for wears now is being
enacted" says bulletin from the
Wellington .taGquar.css Of tho
National Geographic society.
The American elk IS Icing driv-n
srcm his last stronghold in Yen2w-
stone National park. at the top Of
the United States" and faces
slaughter. freezing and starvation
I'M the borderlands 10 tho north ard
south o. tho park. Horace N. Al
bright, superintendent ~ Yellow
Stone National park. who is keenly
alive 20 the great danger. furnished
the nateriaI for this bulletin.
The menace TO the elk arises be-
cause % the unprecedented early
Win.e- this year. ON Oc.. - occur
rcd tho worst snow storm yellow
strue Iark has known since one far
later i'm the season. in january
1921 The elk's existence depends
upon his freedom 10 waller from
tic highland SHOWS 70 tic shelter
aud fo.age Of the valleys below.
rhc carly blizzard drove him out
de The protection or the national
rcs6Ilaton into .hc midst Of thu
open season for hunting in the two
adjacent states
Herds Followed Rivers.
The southern herds followed the
rivers. which flow out OF Yellow
stone in all directions. TO the famous
Jackson Hole country, once the
haunt Of bandits and cattle thieves.
where human life now is safe. but
where this self-same influx OF civili-
zation spells death for the elk. The
northern herds descended into the
Montana borderlands where settle
| ments have flung wild animal bar
] rier across the edge Of the park
/ Wholesale shooting of the elk
was the first consequence. Much
1 of this shooting. according 10 re-
\ ports received in Washington. die
little credit 10 sportsmanship
/ Marksmen did not trouble to follow
and capture animals they had
wounded. Their sheltered life ir
the national reservation has made
the elk tame; and they wandered
into many a backyard 10 find unex-
/ pected enemies. It is estimated thai
between 5000 and 10000 elks al
ready have been killed off.
But this shooting does not mark
the climax OF the tragedy As noted
the settlements have cut off tht
grazing lands. There is some pro
/ vision for the southern herds
though woefully inadequate. but
practically none for the northern
herds
Protected I'm Wyoming.
The protection afforded the ell
which strayed into Wyoming is thai
OF the state game preserves. known
as the HOodoO, Shoshone and Teton
+ Further protection is that afforded
in a limited way by the Winter ELI
\ Refuge at Jackson, Wyoming
| founded by the biological survey
/ There hay is raised for feeding the
I elk. but far from enough is on hand
/ for the feeding Of the thousands
: forced out Of the park and ever
\ out OF the reservations by the early
winter. The severity of the weather
may he gagged from the fact t.lat
snow was from 10 inches to fee
deep. and the temperature went tC
six below zero in some localities.
In ordinary winters the animal.
remain in the park; in some severe
{ ones when the cold and suovys coy,,s
later. the preserves and the refug,
have taken care OF many or then
They did not come down until after
the expiration Of the open season,
for hunting; Dec I in Wyoming
and recently extended until Dec. %
i'm Montana
Already steps are being taken
in the face OF this critical emery
ency. 10 save the elk. just as tn,
native Indian. the Indigenous bu
falo, and those iusensate patriarchs
the SeQuoia trees. were saved il