We had heard about the Roosevelt elk that roam through Redwood National Park and we were hoping to see some. They have a dark head, neck and legs, with a light brown body and a cream-colored rump. They are named after former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt and are the largest type of elk found in North America. At one time they were nearly extinct--as few as 15 in California. But thanks to conservation efforts there are about 1,000 in California. Adult males weigh up to 1,200 pounds and can be the size of a horse. We were constantly on the watch for them.
One early evening we drove past this sign:
And the sign was not kidding! We looked to our right and saw this herd of elk which then proceeded to cross Highway 101!
There were between 35-40 of them and they all made it across to this grassy area. We watched them for quite a while!
The males lose their antlers in March and about a week later they begin to grow new ones at the rate of 10 to 12 inches per month. Here are some males with their antlers just getting started:
We'll have to go back in the fall to see something like this:
These animals are so large and very beautiful!
We saw them on other days and always stopped to watch.
This one turned to say hello!
