This Land, Your Land

Sixteen of 19 elk calves survived this year’s calving season in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, officials said Monday. This brings the number of the herd to about 110.

Two of the calves that died were killed by bears, and the third was underweight when it was born, the park said.

The experimental release of elk into Great Smoky Mountains National Park began in February 2001 with the importation of 25 elk from the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area along the Tennessee-Kentucky border. In 2002, the park imported 27 more.

The herd is believed to consist of 55 females, 45 males and 8 to 10 of this year’s calves whose sex has not been determined. The elk are spread fairly evenly across all age classes, according to the park.