Elk in Cataloochee Valley A Popular Draw
Whether elk will permanently roam Great Smoky Mountains National Park is still undecided, but according to Park biologist Kim DeLozier, there have been some surprising rewards reaped during the six years of an experimental release program.
One of my favorite places to visit in North Carolina is the Cataloochee Valley part of the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. I was up there in September and got to hear my first elk bugle. The Mountain Press has a story about the elk in the valley and the boom to the area they are.
The herd in the Cataloochee Valley on the North Carolina side of the Park now numbers 65 to 70 elk. Biologists have loved learning how they live and their impact on other animals and plants in the Park.
But the biggest bonus, according to DeLozier, may be how people have reacted to the presence of elk in the Smokies.“The (elk release) has become a people project, and the reaction of both the local and visiting public has been very positive,” said DeLozier, noting that thousands more people visit the valley each year than ever before, and they come to see the elk. Additionally, initial concerns among residents surrounding the Park about the elk spreading diseases and damaging property have all but evaporated.
I hope that the herd continues to grow and although I understand the risks with bringing more in but I wish more from a disease free area could be brought in. Some other posts I’ve had on this topic.
Jul 06 Elk Update / The Births
I really enjoy visiting the elk; I do wish they would bring more elk in to be sure that elk will be in the valley for years to come.
Comment by lisa — November 30, 2006 @ 8:50 am
[...] Elk of Cataloochee is a favorite trip of mine and if you get the chance you should take a trip up to see them. I stumbled across a very informative article in the Hendersonville News about the elk. The scenery inside the Cataloochee Valley can take your breath away, not to mention the gravel road that winds past steep drop-offs as you enter the valley. But the trees, the streams and the ridges are no longer the main draw for Hanna and 250,000 other sightseers who visit the valley each year. It’s the elk. [...]
Pingback by Moose Droppings » The Elk of Cataloochee — May 1, 2007 @ 11:05 pm