AMERICAN ELK or WAPITI, Cervus canadensis 



Range. — Formerly most of United States and 

 Canada; now persists in the wild chiefly in moun- 

 tainous areas of the West. 



Habitat. — Open woodlands, humid forests, arid 

 l>lains, typically in mountainous country. 



Race in Alaska. — The introduced American elk 

 of Alaska belong to the race rooseveltl. 



Introductions. — In 1927 a group of eight Roose- 

 velt elk, captured in the Olympic Mountains of 

 Washington, were liberated on Afognak Island. 

 Here they thrived, despite a somewhat restricted 

 winter range, increased to over 300 by 1953, and 

 spread to tlie adjacent Raspberrj' and Kodiak 

 Islands. Introductions on Baranof and Revillagi- 

 gedo Islands failed to survive. In 1961 the popu- 

 lation on Afognak and Raspberry Islands was 

 approximately 1,200. The elk had failed to be- 

 come established on Kodiak Island by 1962, when 

 further introductions were made to Gravina 

 Island. 



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