Yellowstone National Park, WY
Elk ( Bull )
Elk are the most abundant large mammal found in Yellowstone; paleontological
evidence confirms their continuous presence for at least 1,000 years.
Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872, when market hunting of
all large grazing animals was rampant. Not until after 1886, when the U.S.
Army was called in to protect the park and wildlife slaughter was brought
under control, did the large animals increase in number. Each of Yellowstone National Park’s separate parts—the
hydrothermal features, the wildlife, the lakes, the Grand Canyon of the
Yellowstone River, and the petrified trees—could easily stand alone as
a principle element of a national park. That they are all at one place is
testimony to Greater Yellowstone’s diversity and natural wealth.