Smokies’ biologists await tests on four dead elk

The park has a herd of about 60 elk from a reintroduction project started in 2001.

Remains of all four animals found in recent weeks have been taken to the University of Tennessee Department of Veterinary Medicine, a statement released Friday said.

“We have been remarkably lucky with an 88 percent survival rate in our adult elk during the first three years of this five year experimental release,” said park wildlife biologist Kim DeLozier.

He said “late winter is also a time of high stress for elk and many other species.”

On March 19, a male elk was found near death in the Towstring area near Cherokee. Rangers had reported dogs running wild a few miles away days before the elk was found and dogs were seen chasing the elk into a river.

On April 1, a park volunteer in Cataloochee Valley saw a male elk showing signs of a neurological disorder, including loss of balance. By the time biologists arrived, the animal was near death and had to be euthanized. The symptoms were consistent with a parasitic brainworm.

Wildlife managers overseeing about 3,000 elk in Kentucky have found that the brainworm kills about 10 percent of the herd each year.

On March 15, researchers began getting a mortality signal from the radio collar on a bull. The collars are designed to send the signal if the animal remains motionless for several hours. It will also signal if a collar falls off.

On Sunday, a park neighbor found remains of an elk in the White Oak area just outside the park. The collar was found nearly a mile from the remains.

On Wednesday, biologists found the carcass of a female elk that had been outside the park in Maggie Valley.

DeLozier said that “even with the recent deaths the park elk project continues to meet or exceed our original expectations. And this year’s calving season is only about six weeks away, so we may see as many as 20 calves in 2004 to replace these losses.”
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On the Net:
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, http://www.nps.gov/grsm/