Autobiography of an Elk
Hi, dears! This Spring, I had to hide for 10 days before we could leave the forest as I was too young to escape predators. My name is Wapiti and I have an even number of toes on each foot, two in the front and two high up in the back! My family and I love to socialize; you will seldom see us without fellow elk. I can’t wait to see my antlers grow, but that will be next year.
Shedding antlers each year must be tough to do. You may find worn off velvet, the fuzzy coat that provides blood and nutrition to the antlers. The velvet sheds but the antlers don’t fall off until after the rut. Keep your eyes peeled this winter, but please leave the antlers where you find them; they’re an important source of nutrition for my animal and plant friends.
My dream when I grow old is to be a head bull during the elk rut. Did you know? The rutting season lasts 20-45 days! One day I will shed my antler velvet, bugle with a grunt and roll in elk wallows, which are wet areas filled with mud and urine. During this rut, I’ve seen males mark themselves with mud, use olfaction, make bugle calls, rub their antlers on trees and fight with each other to attract females. W ho needs predators? Some elk will even fight to death!
Talking about predators, wolf and coyote packs, solitary cougars and bears are major threats to us apart from humankind – one of the reasons why we hide when we’re born. We are big game species for hunters. Human activities like traffic and noise pollution increase vigilance and decrease foraging among us. On the bright side, I have heard about a conservation area nearby that focuses on conserving wildlife habitat where elks roam freely, away from traffic, all-terrain vehicles and hunters! I am definitely living my retirement life there.
I have heard a rumor that humans used our bugle for the Ringwraith’s sound in their movie Lord of the Rings. Can you check and see if there is any similarity? I’m sure they wouldn’t be able to match our frequency of 4000Hz. Yes! That is how loud a bugle can be. I am still learning the different kinds of bugles like the location bugle, which is not aggressive and doesn’t end with a grunt. There is also a challenging bugle to intimidate the rival elk ending with a grunt – my favorite! Then there are high pitched spikes and herding bugle just to round up the cows staying away from the harem group. I still remember my first high-pitched squeal to my mother who recognizes me by my voice!
I must go for lunch now. I have shared details based on what I’ve heard within the few months of my short life; I would love to share my wisdom once I’m older.
See you after my first rut!
Submitted by Maha Ejaz
