Park sets elk calves record

8 offspring survive despite black bears' 'learning curve'

By MORGAN SIMMONS, simmonsm@knews.com

July 10, 2006

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park had its best season for newborn elk calves on record this year despite the loss of two calves to black bears, a park official said.

Researchers know of at least 10 elk born in Cataloochee Valley since late May. Of those, two calves were killed and partially eaten by black bears, leaving eight surviving calves.

The most recent addition to the herd was a female calf born in Cataloochee on July 4.

Biologists discovered the first calf killed by a bear on June 16, the second on June 20. Both calves were males, and both were found near the fields of Cataloochee Valley, about 20 miles north of Waynesville, N.C.

Park biologist Kim DeLozier said that of the eight known surviving elk calves, one is near Oconaluftee, 10 miles from Cataloochee, and the other seven are in Cataloochee Valley.

"There could be more calves we don't know about, but so far it seems this is the best year for elk calf survival we have had up to this point," DeLozier said.

Last year nine elk calves were born in the Smokies. Of those, four were killed by black bears, providing the first evidence of black bears preying on elk in the park.

During this year's elk calving season, biologists trapped a number of black bears that were active in Cataloochee and moved them to the west end of the park - far enough so that by the time the bears return to their home range, the elk calves will be better able to fend for themselves.

Elk were introduced into Cataloochee Valley in 2001 and 2002. Today the herd numbers approximately 55 animals. Biologists say the herd's higher-than-normal male-to-female ratio - about half male, half female - has hampered reproduction.

The University of Tennessee originally was scheduled to conclude its study of the Cataloochee elk in 2005. The project has received a two- to three-year extension so researchers can assess the herd's long-term chances of survival.

Smokies officials have requested a third elk release to add more females to the Cataloochee herd. That request is on hold while the U.S. Department of Agriculture reviews its regulations regarding chronic wasting disease and the movement of elk and deer.

Five of the elk calves born this year in Cataloochee have been visible with their mothers in the fields every afternoon.

Newborn elk calves spend their first few weeks bedded down in the thick understory while their mothers maintain a healthy distance. Once the calves are mobile, they join their mothers and are less vulnerable to predators.

The Smokies are home to an estimated 1,200-1,300 black bears. At almost two bears per square mile, the park's bear population is the densest in North America.

Last year biologists witnessed a battle between a black bear and an elk cow that was trying to defend its calf. The mother elk was able to fight off the bear, but when the calf bolted, the bear gave chase, and the next day the calf was found dead.

"Bears are predators," DeLozier said. "The old way of thinking was that they ate roots and berries, but we're finding out their diet is a little more diverse. We've seen black bears chasing adult white-tailed deer and fawns in the park. It makes sense they would treat elk the same way."

Elk disappeared from the Southern Appalachians almost 150 years ago as a result of over-hunting and habitat loss. The Cataloochee elk project is an experiment to see if the park's habitat, and human visitation, can support a permanent elk herd.

Funding for the project has come from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, as well as Friends of the Smokies and the Great Smoky Mountains Natural History Association.

The elk released in Cataloochee so far have come from Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, along the Tennessee-Kentucky border, and Elk Island National Park in Alberta, Canada.

Over the last few years, pregnant elk have traveled as far as seven miles to the junction of the Balsam Spur Road and the Blue Ridge Parkway to have their calves at a higher elevation where predators like black bears and coyotes are less concentrated.

"These elk were not around a sufficient amount of predators before they came to the park," DeLozier said. "It has been a learning curve for them, and for us. The more we learn about elk and other wild animals, the more we realize how little we know."

Morgan Simmons may be reached at 865-342-6321.

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