April 2022 - It’s typical to see tule elk in Point Reyes National Seashore, where a herd was first reintroduced in 1978. But it was quite the surprise when, in early March, staff spotted two young male tule elk in Pinnacles National Park! As far as park biologists are aware, this is the first documented record of the species in the park.
Tule elk are the smallest of the North American elk subspecies, and are endemic to California. Before the Spanish arrival they were likely the dominant large ungulate in the state, and Pinnacles would have been well within their range. By the 1870's, though, the species was considered extinct due to unregulated and unrestricted harvest. Luckily a pair of tule elk were found on a ranch in 1874, and the rancher, Henry Miller, single-handedly saved the species by protecting the herd until their numbers grew. Genetic analyses support the possibility that tule elk today may all descend from only two or three breeding individuals! With lots of help from relocation projects over many years, the species’ population is now at over 5,000 animals.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
