California’s native Tule elk were driven to the edge of extinction by hunting and habitat loss, with perhaps as few as 10 or 20 surviving animals left at one point in the 20th century. In 1974 a herd of 18 Tule elk were brought to San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, where they have thrived. Today there are about 4,000 Tule elk in the state, many of them descendants of the San Luis herd. You can see Tule elk herds from the refuge’s auto tour.
Photo: Lee Eastman/USFWS
Privacy