| Ecosystem
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Bringing Back the
Elk
In an effort to restore elk populations to
Ontario, the Provincial Elk Restoration Advisory
Committee received $241,500 in the 1990’s,
to transport elk from Elk Island National
Park in Alberta, and release them in four
areas – Lake Huron’s north shore,
the Nipissing-French River area, Bancroft/North
Hastings region, and the Lake of the Woods’
Cameron Lake area (20 km east of the lake.)
Although the wild, grassy meadow sections
of the Aulneau Peninsula are an ideal habitat
for the elk, they were released at Cameron
Lake instead, to facilitate monitoring of
the animals. Cameron Lake is Crown land with
a closed road that has no public access. Upon
their arrival from Elk Island National Park,
the animals were kept there in a holding pen
for up to 10 days, then released. Most are
still in the area, but some have been reported
to be in the Fort Frances/Rainy River region
to the south.
In a partnership between Lakehead University
(Thunder Bay), the Provincial Elk Technical
Team and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources,
the Lake of the Woods’ elk population
was monitored in 2003 by a graduate student
as part of Lakehead U’s masters program.
The student does not an opportunity to physically
see the elk, but monitors their whereabouts
through a process known as triangulation.
Of the estimated 84 elk in the region, 21
have radio-telemetry collars that emit an
identifying electronic signal – the
student monitor locates an elk electronically
at three different places (triangulation)
to confirm the elk’s location. The Ministry
planned to collar more elk in the winter of
2003-4.
Dangers to the Elk:
Mortality threats to the new elk population
include: wolf predators, hunters, cars and
trains, and capture myopathy (stress from
moving to the new location.) While Ministry
of Natural Resources’ planners cannot
protect the elk from wolves and transportation
accidents, they do have an aggressive hunter
education program in place to ensure that
hunters are aware of the elk’s protection
status; also, there have been numerous signs
posted in the area to let people know about
the program.
Norm Hissa, with the Kenora district Ministry
of Natural Resources, said that one goal of
the restoration program is to see the elk
move on their own into the Aulneau Peninsula
region, a less dangerous, more remote location.
Also, he reports that there are wild elk in
the Manitoba region west of Lake of the Woods,
and it is hoped that the two groups can merge
over time.
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