151-705: Cervus elaphus nannodes The tule elk ( Cervus canadensis nannodes ) is a subspecies of elk found only in California , ranging from the grasslands and marshlands of the Central Valley to the grassy hills on the coast. The subspecies name derives from the tule ( / ˈ t uː l iː / ), a species of sedge native to freshwater marshes on which the tule elk feeds. When the Europeans first arrived, an estimated 500,000 tule elk roamed these regions, but by 1870 they were thought to be extirpated. In 1874–1875
302-718: A knighthood in 1581 which he received aboard his galleon the Golden Hind . Drake's circumnavigation inaugurated an era of conflict with the Spanish and in 1585, the Anglo-Spanish War began. Drake was in command of an expedition to the Americas that attacked Spanish shipping and ports. When Philip II sent the Spanish Armada to England in 1588 as a precursor to its invasion, Drake was second-in-command of
453-531: A misfolded protein known as a prion , affects the brain tissue in elk, and has been detected throughout their range in North America. First documented in the late 1960s in mule deer, the disease has affected elk on game farms and in the wild in a number of regions. Elk that have contracted the disease begin to show weight loss, changes in behavior, increased watering needs, excessive salivation and urinating and difficulty swallowing, and at an advanced stage,
604-657: A pirate , known to them as El Draque ("The Dragon" in old Spanish). He died of dysentery after his failed assault on Panama in January 1596. Francis Drake was born at Crowndale Farm in Tavistock, Devon , England. His birth date is not formally recorded – such writers as E. F. Benson have claimed that he was born while the Six Articles of 1539 were in force, but British naval historian Julian Corbett , writing of William Camden 's account, on which this information
755-461: A 1591 portrait by Marcus Gheeraerts . On one side of the pendant is a state portrait of Elizabeth by the miniaturist Nicholas Hilliard , on the other a sardonyx cameo of double portrait busts, a regal woman and an African male. The Drake Jewel is a rare documented survivor among sixteenth-century jewels; it is conserved at the Victoria and Albert Museum , London. Queen Elizabeth awarded Drake
906-439: A day or two, and matings usually involve a dozen or more attempts. By the autumn of their second year, females can produce one and, very rarely, two offspring. Reproduction is most common when cows weigh at least 200 kilograms (440 lb). Dominant bulls follow groups of cows during the rut from August into early winter. A bull will defend his harem of 20 cows or more from competing bulls and predators. Bulls also dig holes in
1057-497: A discreet site at which the crew could prepare for the journey back to England. The northernmost extent of this leg of the expedition has been the subject of much scholarly debate, but most sources agree that Drake reached a latitude of at least 48° north before turning back and heading south. On 5 June 1579, the ship briefly made first landfall at what is now South Cove, Cape Arago, just south of Coos Bay, Oregon , and then sailed southward. On 17 June, Drake and his crew found
1208-617: A distinct species, namely the Central Asian red deer ( Cervus hanglu ), which also includes the Kashmir stag . Elk have thick bodies with slender legs and short tails. They have a shoulder height of 0.75–1.5 m (2 ft 6 in – 4 ft 11 in) with a nose-to-tail length of 1.6–2.7 m (5 ft 3 in – 8 ft 10 in). Males are larger and weigh 178–497 kg (392–1,096 lb) while females weigh 171–292 kg (377–644 lb). The largest of
1359-515: A dozen subspecies. But mitochondrial DNA studies conducted in 2004 on hundreds of samples from red deer and elk subspecies and other species of the Cervus deer family, strongly indicate that elk, or wapiti, should be a distinct species, namely Cervus canadensis . DNA evidence validates that elk are more closely related to Thorold's deer and even sika deer than they are to the red deer. Elk and red deer produce fertile offspring in captivity, and
1510-483: A fortune in gold. (An account of this may have given rise to subsequent stories of pirates and buried treasure). Badly wounded, Le Testu was captured and beheaded. The small band of adventurers dragged as much gold and silver as they could carry back across some 18 miles (29 km) of jungle-covered mountains to where they had left the raiding boats. When they got to the coast, the boats were gone. Drake and his men, downhearted, exhausted and hungry, had nowhere to go and
1661-550: A group to attempt a preservation program for the elk. After more than 10 years of lobbying both on the federal and state levels, in 1971, California passed legislation (the Behr bill) requiring the elk may not be hunted until their numbers surpass 2,000 head statewide or until it could be determined that suitable elk habitat no longer existed in the state, and mandated the California Department of Resources to reintroduce
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#17327581319871812-680: A herd..." A more definitive second encounter 16 years later was described by Sebastian Rodriguez Cermeño , who was shipwrecked in December 1595, and in Drake's Bay with certainty. Cermeño's account described "deer walking about, the largest ever found, as could be seen by the antlers, of which the Captain carried away a sample". On a trip inland they found "a great quantity of deer horns, one of which, measured before this witness, showed sixteen palmas [11 feet] from point to point." Cermeno and his crew made
1963-484: A human getting variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease . Antlers are also used in artwork, furniture and other novelty items. All Asian subspecies, along with other deer, have been raised for their antlers in central and eastern Asia by Han Chinese , Turkic peoples , Tungusic peoples , Mongolians , and Koreans . Elk farms are relatively common in North America and New Zealand. Native Americans have used elk hides for tepee covering, clothing and footwear. Since 1967,
2114-635: A knighthood aboard Golden Hind in Deptford on 4 April 1581; the dubbing being performed by a French diplomat, Monsieur de Marchaumont, who was negotiating for Elizabeth to marry the King of France's brother, Francis, Duke of Anjou . By getting the French diplomat involved in the knighting, Elizabeth was gaining the implicit political support of the French for Drake's actions. During the Victorian era, in
2265-401: A large animal, buglings can reach a frequency of 4000 Hz. This is achieved by blowing air from the glottis through the nasal cavities. Elk can produce deeper pitched (150 Hz) sounds using the larynx . Cows produce an alarm bark to alert other members of the herd to danger, while calves will produce a high-pitched scream when attacked. Female elk have a short estrus cycle of only
2416-418: A maximum of five alleles at one locus, indicating that there has either been a mutation at this locus subsequent to the single breeding pair reported by Henry Miller and nineteenth century game warden A. C. Tibbet, or there were three surviving tule elk at the 1800s genetic bottleneck. Another microsatellite study in 2016 found no more than four alleles at any locus, consistent with tule elk having been reduced to
2567-491: A mean weight of 275 kilograms (606 lb). The elk is the second largest extant species of deer, after the moose . Antlers are made of bone, which can grow at a rate of 2.5 centimeters (0.98 in) per day. While actively growing, a soft layer of highly vascularized skin known as velvet covers and protects them. This is shed in the summer when the antlers have fully developed. Bull elk typically have around six tines on each antler. The Siberian and North American elk carry
2718-481: A protected cove when they landed on the Pacific coast of what is now Northern California. While ashore, he claimed the area for Queen Elizabeth I as Nova Albion or New Albion . To document and assert his claim, Drake posted an engraved plate of brass to claim sovereignty for Elizabeth and every successive English monarch. After erecting a fort and tents ashore, the crew laboured for several weeks as they prepared for
2869-693: A quoit of Spanish gold from his clothes and said, "Our voyage is made." By the second week of August 1573, he had returned to Plymouth. It was during this expedition that on 11 February Drake and his lieutenant John Oxenham climbed a high tree in the central mountains of the Isthmus of Panama and thus became the first Englishmen to see the Pacific Ocean , mirroring the achievement of the Spaniard Vasco Núñez de Balboa in 1513. The Cimarróns had cut steps into its trunk, on which Drake and
3020-434: A short time later, and gave each one gifts appropriate to their rank, as well as a letter of safe conduct . Drake continued north, raiding more Spanish settlements and ships as he went. His last stop in this phase of the voyage was in the town of Guatulco, where he and his crew stayed from 13 to 16 April, looting provisions and other materials. From here, Drake began to consider how best to return to England. One possibility
3171-907: A single breeding pair was discovered in the tule marshes of Buena Vista Lake in the southern San Joaquin Valley . Conservation measures were taken to protect the species in the 1970s. Today, the wild population exceeds 4,000. Tule elk can reliably be found in Carrizo Plain National Monument , Point Reyes National Seashore , portions of the Owens Valley from Lone Pine to Bishop , on Coyote Ridge in Santa Clara Valley , San Jose, California and in Pacheco State Park and areas surrounding San Luis Reservoir near Los Banos , California. Considered
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#17327581319873322-539: A single breeding pair. The first European explorer to see tule elk was likely Sir Francis Drake who landed in July 1579 probably in today's Drake's Bay , Marin County, California : "The inland we found to be far different from the shoare, a goodly country and fruitful soil, stored with many blessings fit for the use of man: infinite was the company of very large and fat deer, which there we saw by thousands as we supposed in
3473-624: A sixth ship, Mary (formerly Santa María ), a Portuguese merchant ship that had been captured off the coast of Africa near the Cape Verde Islands . He also kidnapped its captain, Nuno da Silva , a man with considerable experience navigating in South American waters. Drake's fleet suffered great attrition; he scuttled both Christopher and the flyboat Swan due to loss of men on the Atlantic crossing. He made landfall at
3624-623: A small boat from their wrecked Manila galleon and sailed back to Acapulco, Mexico , with but a single trophy of their voyage to the Philippines , the set of large elk antlers. Next, Sebastián Vizcaíno described seeing elk on his December 1602 exploration of the Monterey area, "Among the animals there are large, fierce bears, and other animals called elks, from which they make elk leather jackets." When Richard Henry Dana Jr. visited San Francisco Bay in 1835, he wrote about vast elk herds near
3775-464: A small share of the profits. Based on this association, scholar Kris Lane lists Drake as one of the first English slave traders. The Spanish and Portuguese were aggrieved that the English had entered into the slave trade and were selling slaves to their colonies despite being forbidden from doing so. Queen Elizabeth I, under pressure to avoid an armed conflict, forbade Hawkins from going to sea for
3926-430: A spirit of nationalism, the story was promoted that Elizabeth I had done the knighting. After receiving his knighthood Drake unilaterally adopted the coat of arms of the ancient Devon family of Drake of Ash, to whom he claimed a distant but unspecified kinship. The right to use the arms was disputed in court so Queen Elizabeth awarded Drake his own coat of arms. Drake's heraldic achievement and coat of arms contains
4077-435: A tendency to do most of their feeding in the mornings and evenings, seeking sheltered areas in between feedings to digest. Their diets vary somewhat depending on the season, with native grasses being a year-round supplement, tree bark being consumed in winter, and forbs and tree sprouts during the summer. Elk consume an average of 9.1 kilograms (20 lb) of vegetation daily. Particularly fond of aspen sprouts which rise in
4228-688: A third slave voyage. In response, he set up a slave voyage with a relative, John Lovell , in command in 1566. Drake accompanied Lovell on this voyage. The voyage was unsuccessful, as more than 90 enslaved Africans were released without payment. In 1567, Drake accompanied Hawkins on their next and last joint voyage. The crew attempted to capture slaves around Cape Verde , but failed. Hawkins allied himself with two local kings in Sierra Leone who asked for help against their enemies in exchange for half of any captives they took. Attacking from both sides, they took several hundred prisoners, though Kelsey says
4379-445: A thousand elk in one herd." General John Bidwell of the 1841 Bartleson–Bidwell Party wrote: "In some of the fertile valleys, such as Napa and Santa Clara, there were elk literally by the thousand". Genetic studies based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA confirm that tule elk, Roosevelt elk and Rocky Mountain elk should be considered distinct subspecies. A 2007 nuclear DNA microsatellite study found single alleles at many loci, with
4530-530: A trial in England. The main pieces of evidence against Doughty were the testimony of the ship's carpenter, Edward Bright, who after the trial was promoted to master of the ship Marigold , and Doughty's admission of telling Lord Burghley , a vocal opponent of agitating the Spanish, of the intent of the voyage. Drake consented to his request of Communion and dined with him, of which Francis Fletcher had this account: And after this holy repast, they dined also at
4681-580: A wild population has not yet established. Since 2015, elk have also been reintroduced in a number of other states, including Missouri , and introduced to the islands of Etolin and Afognak in Alaska. Reintroduction of the elk into Ontario began in the early 20th century and is ongoing with limited success. Elk and red deer were introduced to Argentina in the early 20th century. There they are now considered an invasive species , encroaching on Argentinian ecosystems where they compete for food with
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4832-570: A winter- or disease-weakened adult. In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem , which includes Yellowstone National Park, bears are the most significant predators of calves while healthy bulls have never been recorded to be killed by bears and such encounters can be fatal for bears. The killing of cows in their prime is more likely to affect population growth than the killing of bulls or calves. Elk may avoid predation by switching from grazing to browsing. Grazing puts an elk in
4983-639: Is a good source of iron , phosphorus and zinc . A male elk can produce 10 to 11 kilograms (22 to 24 lb) of antler velvet annually and on ranches in the United States, Canada and New Zealand, it is collected and sold to markets in East Asia , where it is used in medicine. Some cultures consider antler velvet to be an aphrodisiac . However, consuming velvet from elk in North America may be risky since velvet from animals infected with chronic wasting disease may contain prions that could result in
5134-492: Is a parasitic nematode known to affect the spinal cord and brain tissue of elk and other species, leading to death. The definitive host is the white-tailed deer, in which it normally has no ill effects. Snails and slugs, the intermediate hosts, can be inadvertently consumed by elk during grazing. The liver fluke Fascioloides magna and the nematode Dictyocaulus viviparus are also commonly found parasites that can be fatal to elk. Chronic wasting disease , transmitted by
5285-465: Is also not known, but it appears to be highly contagious among elk. Studies are being undertaken by government departments to determine how to halt or eliminate the disease. The elk ranges from central Asia through to Siberia and east Asia and in North America. They can be found in open deciduous woodlands, boreal forests, upland moors, mountainous areas and grasslands. The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) list
5436-540: Is based, writes that "As a slip of memory, too, we must put down his difficult assertion that Edmund Drake was driven from Devonshire during a persecution under the Six Articles Act of 1539 ." His birth date is estimated from the wording of texts in contemporary sources such as: "Drake was two and twenty when he obtained the command of the Judith " (1566). This would date his birth to 1544. A date of c. 1540
5587-528: Is common with many deer species, and they lose their spots by the end of summer. After two weeks, calves are able to join the herd, and are fully weaned at two months of age. Elk calves are as large as an adult white-tailed deer by the time they are six months old. Elk will leave their natal (birth) ranges before they are three years old. Males disperse more often than females, as adult cows are more tolerant of female offspring from previous years. Elk live 20 years or more in captivity but average 10 to 13 years in
5738-440: Is seen in other artiodactyl species, like the bighorn sheep , pronghorn and the white-tailed deer , to varying degrees. Elk dwell in open forest and forest-edge habitats, grazing on grasses and sedges and browsing higher-growing plants, leaves, twigs and bark. Male elk have large, blood- and nerve-filled antlers , which they routinely shed each year as weather warms-up. Males also engage in ritualized mating behaviors during
5889-824: Is some anecdotal evidence to support Drake serving as a common seaman on the first two voyages, and good evidence of his presence for the last two of four slaving voyages made by Hawkins' ships between 1562 and 1569. In 1562, Hawkins sailed to the coast of the Sierra Leone, seized Portuguese slave ships, and sold the Africans in the Spanish Indies. It was highly profitable, so for his second slave voyage in 1564, Hawkins gained Queen Elizabeth I's support. She lent him one of her ships, Jesus of Lübeck , which served as his flagship. Hawkins attacked an African native town and sold many of its inhabitants in Spanish ports on
6040-519: Is suggested from two portraits: one a miniature , painted by Nicholas Hilliard in 1581, when he was allegedly 42, which would place his birth c. 1539, while the other, painted in 1594 when he was said to be 52, would give a birth year of c. 1541. He was the eldest of the twelve sons of Edmund Drake (1518–1585), a Protestant farmer, and his wife, Mary Mylwaye. The first son was said to have been named after his godfather , Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford . Due to religious persecution during
6191-482: Is the official state animal for Utah . An image of an elk and a moose appear on the state seal and flag of Michigan. The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (B.P.O.E.) chose the elk as its namesake because a number of its attributes seemed appropriate for cultivation by members of the fraternity. Jewel-encrusted, gold-mounted elk teeth are prized possessions of many members of the B.P.O.E. Although breakdown figures for each game species are not available in
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6342-667: Is typically characterized by a diverse community of bacteria specialized in breaking down complex plant fibers and cellulose , whereas the supplementally fed gut microbiome may have less fiber-digesting bacteria. Therefore, transitioning from natural foraging to concentrated alfalfa pellets can cause changes in the gut microbiome that might affect the elk's ability to efficiently digest their natural diet or could potentially lead to imbalances that affect overall health. Predators of elk include wolves , coyotes , brown and black bears , cougars , and Siberian tigers . Coyote packs mostly prey on elk calves, though they can sometimes take
6493-661: The Oxford English Dictionary , the etymology of the word "elk" is "of obscure history". In Classical Antiquity , the European Alces alces was known as Ancient Greek : ἄλκη , romanized : álkē and Latin : alces , words probably borrowed from a Germanic language or another language of northern Europe. By the 8th century, during the Early Middle Ages , the moose was known as Old English : elch, elh, eolh, derived from
6644-585: The Boy Scouts of America have assisted employees at the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming by collecting the antlers which are shed each winter. They are then auctioned, with 80% of the proceeds returned to the refuge. In 2010, 2,520 kilograms (5,560 lb) of antlers were auctioned, which brought in over $ 46,000. Sir Francis Drake Sir Francis Drake ( c. 1540 – 28 January 1596)
6795-544: The Diablo Range , Santa Clara County elk herd where more than 50% of the tule elk diet were grasses. A 2007 study at the Tomales Point Elk Reserve showed that tule elk appear to play a critical role in preventing succession of open grasslands to less diverse, shrub-dominated ecosystems. Elk grazing had a positive impact on native grassland species abundance and diversity, and seemed to increase
6946-611: The Fiordland National Park . In 1949 the New Zealand American Fiordland Expedition was undertaken to study the descendants of this release. There is significant hybridization of elk with red deer. These deer have had an adverse impact on forest regeneration of some plant species, as they consume more palatable species, which are replaced with those that are less favored by the elk. The long-term impact will be an alteration of
7097-633: The Golden Gate on December 27: "...we came to anchor near the mouth of the bay, under a high and beautifully sloping hill, upon which herds of hundreds and hundreds of red deer [note: "red deer" is the European term for "elk"], and the stag, with his high branching antlers, were bounding about...", although it is not clear whether this was the Marin side or the San Francisco side. The arrival of
7248-634: The Isthmus of Panama , known to the Spanish as part of Tierra Firme and to the English as part of the Spanish Main . This was the point at which the silver and gold treasure of Peru had to be brought ashore and transported overland to the Caribbean Sea , where galleons from Spain would take it aboard at the town of Nombre de Dios . Drake left Plymouth on 24 May 1572, with a crew of 73 men in two small vessels, Pascha (70 tons) and Swan (25 tons), to capture Nombre de Dios. Drake's first raid
7399-694: The Korean Peninsula and Siberia are the Manchurian wapiti ( C. c. xanthopygus ) and the Alashan wapiti ( C. c. alashanicus ). The Manchurian subspecies is darker, and more reddish, in coloration than other populations. The Alashan wapiti of northern Central China is the smallest of all the subspecies, has the lightest coloration, and is one of the least-studied. Recent DNA analyses suggest that there are no more than three or four total subspecies of elk. All American forms, aside from possibly
7550-641: The Late Pleistocene , surviving into the early Holocene in Southern Sweden and the Alps . The now-extinct North American Merriam's elk subspecies ( Cervus canadensis merriami ) once ranged south into Mexico . The wapiti has also successfully adapted to countries outside of its natural range where it has been introduced, including Argentina and New Zealand ; the animal's adaptability in these areas may, in fact, be so successful as to threaten
7701-475: The National Elk Refuge , having migrated south from the southern portions of Yellowstone National Park and west from the Shoshone and Bridger–Teton National Forests . Elk are ruminants and therefore have four-chambered stomachs. Unlike white-tailed deer and moose, which are chiefly browsers, elk are similar to cattle in that they are primarily grazers . But like other deer, they also browse . Elk have
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#17327581319877852-517: The Point Reyes National Seashore . Other possible explanations include failure to remove cattle until 1979 and the fact that 1977 and 1978 were drought years. Birth rates remained negligible until 1981, when they began reproducing at predicted maximum rates. Studies of fecal material documented that the tule elk preferred grasses and forbs with little use of shrubs such as willow. These results are consistent with findings on
8003-633: The Prayer Book Rebellion in 1549, the Drake family fled from Devon to Kent . There Drake's father obtained an appointment to minister to the men in the King's Navy. He was ordained deacon and was made vicar of Upchurch Church on the Medway . At an early age, Drake was placed into the household of a relative, sea-captain William Hawkins of Plymouth, and began his seagoing training as an apprentice on Hawkins' boats. By 18, he
8154-914: The Proto-Germanic : *elho- , *elhon- and possibly connected with the Old Norse : elgr . Later, the species became known in Middle English as elk , elcke , or elke , appearing in the Latinized form alke , with the spelling alce borrowed directly from Latin: alces . Noting that elk "is not the normal phonetic representative" of the Old English elch , the Oxford English Dictionary derives elk from Middle High German : elch , itself from Old High German : elaho . The American Cervus canadensis
8305-810: The Rocky Mountain elk which were introduced near Mount Shasta . In 1960, the state held a hearing in Owens Valley to determine how many elk should be allowed to live there. They decided the elk should be hunted to limit their numbers to under 500 animals. Through efforts of the California Department of Fish and Game, three permanent elk herds were established in California. By 1969, the Tupman State Reserve (32), Cache Creek (80) and Owens Valley, Inyo County (300 elk) were in place. A private citizen from Los Angeles, Beula Edmiston, formed
8456-751: The Roosevelt ( C. canadensis roosevelti ), Tule ( C. c. nannodes ), Manitoban ( C. c. manitobensis ) and Rocky Mountain elk ( C. c. nelsoni ). The eastern elk ( C. c. canadensis ) and Merriam's elk ( C. c. merriami ) subspecies have been extinct for at least a century. Four subspecies described from the Asian continent include the Altai wapiti ( C. c. sibiricus ) and the Tianshan wapiti ( C. c. songaricus ). Two distinct subspecies found in China, Mongolia ,
8607-610: The San Francisco Bay : Sonoma in Sonoma County , as well as San Geronimo and Tomales both in Marin County . By 1986 numbers had increased to over 2,000 individuals distributed among 22 populations throughout California, largely due to successful reintroduction programs. By 1998, California's tule elk population exceeded 3,200. In 2007, the statewide population was estimated at 3,800. A 2014 report placed
8758-567: The San Joaquin Valley to a golf course in Monterey that grew to the size of a Rocky Mountain elk . Also hunter H. C. Banta described the tule elk in the 1850s as "I found no difference in size between these elk and the Oregon, Washington, Wyoming and Colorado elk, and felt sure that the bulls would weight 700 to 800 pounds". The calves are similar to deer fawns, with brown coats and white spots. Tule elk herd size likely numbered in
8909-441: The mating season , including posturing to attract females, antler-wrestling (sparring), and bugling , a loud series of throaty whistles, bellows, screams, and other vocalizations that establish dominance over other males and aim to attract females. Elk were long believed to belong to a subspecies of the European red deer ( Cervus elaphus ), but evidence from many mitochondrial DNA genetic studies, beginning in 1998, shows that
9060-412: The 200 defenders and several hundred more men, women and children of Clan MacDonnell. Meanwhile, Drake was given the task of preventing any Gaelic Irish or Scottish reinforcements reaching the island. Therefore, the remaining leader of the Gaelic defence against English power, Sorley Boy MacDonnell , was forced to stay on the mainland. Essex wrote in his letter to Queen Elizabeth's secretary that following
9211-471: The 2006 National Survey from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, hunting of wild elk is most likely the primary economic impact. While elk are not generally harvested for meat production on a large scale, some restaurants offer the meat as a specialty item and it is also available in some grocery stores. The meat has a taste somewhere between beef and venison and is higher in protein and lower in fat and cholesterol than beef, pork, and chicken. Elk meat
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#17327581319879362-600: The California Department of Fish and Game selected sites for the reintroduction of tule elk within the state. A herd was established at the San Luis Wildlife Refuge in 1974, and elk were released at the Concord Naval Weapons Station in 1977. In 1978, herds were established at Mount Hamilton in Santa Clara County , Lake Pillsbury in Lake County , Jawbone Canyon in Kern County , Point Reyes National Seashore , Fort Hunter Liggett Military Reservation, and Camp Roberts . McCullough identified nineteenth century tule elk antler specimens collected in three separate locations north of
9513-399: The Caribbean mainland, making another large profit for himself, the Queen and the consortium of investors from her court. Sources vary on the dates and the age of Drake at the time; Harry Kelsey says he was twenty years old, "[a]ccording to Howes" (in reference to the English chronicler Edmund Howes writing in 1615). Drake was not a member of that consortium, but the crew would have received
9664-417: The Cimarrón leader Pedro ascended to a platform at the top of the giant tree, where they were joined by Oxenham. The Englishmen vowed when they saw the Pacific Ocean that one day they would sail its waters – which Drake would do years later as part of his circumnavigation of the world. When Drake returned to Plymouth after the raids, the government signed a temporary truce with King Philip II of Spain and so
9815-426: The Earth, and his was the second such voyage arriving with at least one ship intact, after Elcano 's in 1520. Queen Elizabeth declared that all written accounts of Drake's voyages were to become the queen's secrets of the Realm, and Drake and the other participants of his voyages on the pain of death sworn to their secrecy; she intended to keep Drake's activities hidden from the eyes of rival Spain. Drake presented
9966-406: The English Nation of 1589) along the Chilean coast. In the Magellan Strait Francis and his men engaged in skirmishes with local indigenous people, becoming the first Europeans to kill indigenous peoples in southern Patagonia. During their stay in the strait, crew members discovered that an infusion made of the bark of Drimys winteri could be used as remedy against scurvy . Captain Wynter ordered
10117-402: The English fleet that fought against and repulsed the Spanish fleet. A year later he led the English Armada in a failed attempt to destroy the remaining Spanish fleet. Drake was a member of parliament (MP) for three constituencies: Camelford in 1581, Bossiney in 1584, and Plymouth in 1593. Drake's exploits made him a hero to the English, but his privateering led the Spanish to brand him
10268-468: The European variety of the moose , Alces alces , but was transferred to Cervus canadensis by North American colonists. The name "wapiti" is derived from a Shawnee and Cree word meaning "white rump", after the distinctive light fur around the tail region which the animals may fluff-up or raise to signal their agitation or distress to one another, when fleeing perceived threats, or among males courting females and sparring for dominance. A similar trait
10419-448: The Moluccas and Spice Islands from there. At this time Diego died from wounds he had sustained earlier in the voyage; Golden Hind later became caught on a reef and was almost lost. Afterwards, the sailors waited three days for convenient tides and had dumped cargo. Befriending Sultan Babullah of Ternate in the Moluccas, Drake and his men became involved in some intrigues with the Portuguese there. He made multiple stops on his way toward
10570-406: The Pacific coast of South America, attacking Spanish ports and pillaging towns. Some Spanish ships were captured, and Drake used their more accurate charts to inform his navigation. Before reaching the coast of Peru , Drake visited Mocha Island off the coast of what is now Chile, where he and his manservant Diego were seriously injured by hostile Mapuche who shot them with arrows. Later he sacked
10721-463: The Pacific coast, heading south-west to catch the winds that would carry his ship across the Pacific, and a few months later reached the Moluccas , a group of islands in the western Pacific, in eastern modern-day Indonesia . Harry Kelsey maintains, against scholarly consensus, that because of the contrary prevailing winds and currents, it is much more probable that Drake careened his ship on the shore of Magdalena Bay in Lower California , and sailed to
10872-597: The Pacific, making for the East Indies , and from there return to England by completing a circumnavigation of the world. In May, Drake's two ships passed the Baja California peninsula and continued north. Prior to Drake's voyage, the western coast of North America had only been partially explored in 1542 by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo who sailed for Spain. So, intending to avoid further conflict with Spain, Drake navigated north-west of Spanish presence and sought
11023-531: The Spanish in the late 18th century introduced cattle and horses to the grasslands of the Central Valley, competing with the native elk. Unrestricted hunting further reduced the herds. By the time elk hunting was banned by the State Legislature in 1873, the tule elk was believed to be extinct. California cattle baron Henry Miller protected tule elk after a pair was discovered on his ranch in
11174-609: The Spanish is said to have started with the battle and its aftermath. The voyage of 1567–1569 was Drake's last association with slaving. In total, approximately 1,200 Africans were enslaved on these four voyages, and an estimated three times as many Africans were killed (based on the contemporaneous accounts of slavers). On the issue of slaving, scholar John Sugden writes that "Drake was in his twenties and did not question what his elders accepted", but must share some culpability for his participation. In 1572, Drake embarked on his first major independent enterprise. He planned an attack on
11325-468: The Spanish were not far behind. At this point, Drake rallied his men, buried the treasure on the beach, and built a raft to sail in a heavy swell with four men twelve miles along the coast to where they had left two pinnaces . When Drake finally reached them, his men were alarmed at his bedraggled appearance. Fearing the worst, they asked him how the raid had gone. Drake could not resist a joke and teased them by looking downhearted. Then he laughed, pulled
11476-735: The Tule and the Roosevelt's elk, seem to belong to one subspecies— Cervus c. canadensis ; even the Siberian elk ( C. c. sibiricus ) is, more or less, physically identical to the American forms, and thus may belong to this subspecies, too. However, the Manchurian wapiti ( C. c. xanthopygus ) is clearly distinct from the Siberian forms, but not distinguishable from the Alashan wapiti. Still, due to
11627-629: The U.S. where the disease is still known to exist, though this can extend out to the Bighorn Mountains . In domesticated cattle, brucellosis causes infertility, abortions, and reduced milk production. It is transmitted to humans as undulant fever , producing influenza -like symptoms that may last for years. Though bison are more likely to transmit the disease to other animals, elk inadvertently transmitted brucellosis to horses in Wyoming and cattle in Idaho . Researchers are attempting to eradicate
11778-605: The US. Elk were reintroduced in Michigan in 1918 after going extinct there in 1875. The Rocky Mountain elk subspecies was reintroduced by hunter-conservation organizations into the Appalachian region of the U.S. where the now extinct eastern elk once lived. They were reintroduced to Pennsylvania beginning in 1913 and throughout the mid-20th Century, and now remain at a stable population of approximately 1,400 individuals. Since
11929-560: The attack Sorley Boy "was likely to have run mad for sorrow, tearing and tormenting himself and saying that he there lost all that he ever had." Following the success of the Panama isthmus raid, Drake's so-called "Famous Voyage" – an expedition against the Spanish along the Pacific coast of the Americas – was organized and financed by a private syndicate that included Francis Walsingham , Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester , John Hawkins, Christopher Hatton , and Drake himself. Drake acted on
12080-543: The barque to Drake. In 1562, the West African slave trade was a duopoly dominated by the Portuguese and the Spanish. Sir John Hawkins devised a plan to break into that trade, and enlisted the aid of colleagues and family to finance his first slave voyage. Drake was not part of that group of financiers, though his presence as one of hundreds of seamen on Hawkins's first two slaving voyages has been assumed. There
12231-432: The big bull to avoid harassment. Dominant bulls are intolerant of spike bulls and will chase them away from their harems. The gestation period is eight to nine months and the offspring weigh around 16 kilograms (35 lb). When the females are near to giving birth, they tend to isolate themselves from the main herd, and will remain isolated until the calf is large enough to escape predators. Calves are born spotted, as
12382-406: The bull will copiously lick the female and then mount her. Younger, less dominant bulls, known as "spike bulls" because their antlers have not yet forked, will harass unguarded cows. These bulls are impatient and will not perform any courtship rituals and will continue to pursue a female even when she signals him to stop. As such, they are less reproductively successful, and a cow may stay close to
12533-573: The circumnavigating voyage ahead by careening their ship, Golden Hind , to effectively clean and repair the hull. Drake had friendly interactions with the Coast Miwok and explored the surrounding land by foot. When his ship was ready for the return voyage, Drake and the crew left New Albion on 23 July and paused the journey the next day when anchoring the ship at the Farallon Islands where they hunted sea lions or seals. Drake left
12684-620: The collection of great amounts of bark – hence the scientific name. Historian Mateo Martinic , who examined records of Drake's travels, credits him with the discovery of the "southern end of the Americas and the oceanic space south of it". The first report of his discovery of an open channel south of Tierra del Fuego was written after the 1618 publication of the voyage of Willem Schouten and Jacob le Maire around Cape Horn in 1616. Drake pushed onwards in his lone flagship, now renamed Golden Hind in honour of Sir Christopher Hatton (after his coat of arms ). Golden Hind sailed north along
12835-808: The compromising situation of being in an open area with its head down, leaving it unable to see what is going on in the surrounding area. Living in groups also lessens the risk of an individual falling to predation. Large bull elk are less vulnerable and can afford to wander alone, while cows stay in larger groups for protection for their calves. Bulls are more vulnerable to predation by wolves in late winter, after they have been weakened by months of chasing females and fighting. Males that have recently lost their antlers are more likely to be preyed upon. At least 53 species of protist and animal parasites have been identified in elk. Most of these parasites seldom lead to significant mortality among wild or captive elk. Parelaphostrongylus tenuis (brainworm or meningeal worm)
12986-505: The crew of Minion in panic and fear cut the lines securing them to Jesus . Hawkins was among those who jumped from the flagship's bulwarks to Minion' s decks. Drake, by this time the captain of Judith , fled leaving Hawkins behind. Hawkins escaped on Minion and limped back to England with dozens of his men dying along the way, and arriving with a crew of just 15. Hundreds of English seamen were abandoned. After arriving back in England, Hawkins accused Drake of desertion and of stealing
13137-484: The disease leads to death. No risks to humans have been documented, nor has the disease been demonstrated to pose a threat to domesticated cattle. In 2002, South Korea banned the importation of elk antler velvet due to concerns about chronic wasting disease. The Gram-negative bacterial disease brucellosis occasionally affects elk in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the only place in
13288-557: The disease through vaccinations and herd-management measures, which are expected to be successful. Nevertheless, research has been ongoing since 2002, and a successful vaccine has yet to be developed as of 2016 . A recent necropsy study of captive elk in Pennsylvania attributed the cause of death in 33 of 65 cases to either gastrointestinal parasites (21 cases, primarily Eimeria sp. and Ostertagia sp.) or bacterial infections (12 cases, mostly pneumonia ). Elk hoof disease
13439-615: The disease to the Tomales Point elk herd shortly after they were first established there in 1978. Two male and eight female elk were translocated from Merced County, California to Tomales Point on Point Reyes National Seashore in March 1978. The elk showed signs of nutritional stress including copper deficiency and antler anomalies by summer 1979 and two elk died. One explanation was molybdenum which expresses as copper deficiency. A former molybdenum mine existed in that area of
13590-664: The dwarf elk, this moniker may be misleading as the smaller size of some tule elk may reflect poor nutrition of elk subsisting on marginal habitat such as the Owens River watershed. California Department of Fish and Wildlife records show recent tule elk bulls on Grizzly Island in Suisun Bay weigh up to 900 pounds (410 kg). This is a similar size to Roosevelt elk bulls which weigh between 700 pounds (320 kg) and 1,100 pounds (500 kg). Wildlife biologist Dale McCullough described an elk transplanted from Buttonwillow in
13741-478: The early Holocene of central Alaska, where it was the main hunted animal along with bison , and survived in Yukon until around 1400 BP (550 AD). As of 2014, population figures for all North American elk subspecies were around one million. Prior to the European colonization of North America, there were an estimated 10 million on the continent. There are many past and ongoing examples of reintroduction into areas of
13892-632: The elk into former habitats wherever possible. In 1976, the US Congress passed a resolution which stated 2000 tule elk is an appropriate national goal, and directed federal agencies to make federal lands available for preservation of tule elk. An Interagency Task Force of representatives from the National Park Service, US Forest Service, the Armed Forces, Bureau of Land Management, California Department of Parks and Recreation, and
14043-505: The elk were transplanted 21 times, with each attempt failing to establish free-ranging herds. In 1933, rancher Walter Dow took a small group of penned elk from Yosemite to his ranch in Owens Valley , east of the Sierra Nevada . Although not native habitat for the elk, they thrived. In the same year, the state put a small herd at Cache Creek . This herd has not fared well due to poor range conditions. This herd may have interbred with
14194-640: The elk) first appear in the fossil record 25 million years ago, during the Oligocene in Eurasia , but do not appear in the North American fossil record until the early Miocene . The extinct Irish elk ( Megaloceros ) was not a member of the genus Cervus but rather the largest member of the wider deer family (Cervidae) known from the fossil record. Until recently, red deer and elk were considered to be one species, Cervus elaphus , with over
14345-778: The fight against the Spanish Armada as a vice-admiral . At an early age, Drake was placed into the household of a relative, William Hawkins , a prominent sea captain in Plymouth . In 1572, he set sail on his first independent mission , privateering along the Spanish Main . Drake's circumnavigation began on 15 December 1577. He crossed the Pacific Ocean, until then an area of exclusive Spanish interest, and laid claim to New Albion , plundering coastal towns and ships for treasure and supplies as he went. He arrived back in England on 26 September 1580. Elizabeth I awarded Drake
14496-419: The forest-adapted European red deer . Elk are among the most gregarious deer species. During the summer group size can reach 400 individuals. For most of the year, adult males and females are segregated into different herds. Female herds are larger while bulls form small groups and may even travel alone. Young bulls may associate with older bulls or female groups. Male and female herds come together during
14647-472: The gloomy bay of Puerto San Julián , in what is now Argentina . Ferdinand Magellan had called there half a century earlier, where he put to death some mutineers. Drake's men saw weathered and bleached skeletons on the Spanish gibbets . Following Magellan's example, Drake tried and executed his own "mutineer" Thomas Doughty . The crew discovered that Mary had rotting timbers, so they put the vessel ashore, stripped it, and abandoned it. Drake decided to remain
14798-435: The greater availability of food to eat. Elk do not appear to benefit from thermal cover. The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem elk herds comprise as many as 40,000 individuals. During the spring and fall, they take part in the longest elk migration in the continental U.S., traveling as much as 168 mi (270 km) between summer and winter ranges. The Teton herd consists of between 9,000 and 13,000 elk and they spend winters on
14949-479: The ground called wallows, in which they urinate and roll their bodies . A male elk's urethra points upward so that urine is sprayed almost at a right angle to the penis. The urine soaks into their hair and gives them a distinct smell which attracts cows. A bull interacts with cows in his harem in two ways: herding and courtship. When a female wanders too far away from the harem's range, the male will rush ahead of her, block her path and aggressively rush her back to
15100-532: The harem. Herding behavior is accompanied by a stretched out and lowered neck and the antlers laid back. A bull may get violent and hit the cow with his antlers. During courtship, the bull is more peaceful and approaches her with his head and antlers raised. The male signals his intention to test the female for sexual receptivity by flicking his tongue. If not ready, a cow will lower her head and weave from side to side while opening and closing her mouth. The bull will stop in response in order not to scare her. Otherwise,
15251-467: The head, neck, and legs during the summer. Forest-adapted Manchurian and Alashan wapitis have red or reddish-brown coats with less contrast between the body coat and the rest of the body during the summer months. Calves are born spotted, as is common with many deer species, and lose them by the end of summer. Adult Manchurian wapiti may retain a few orange spots on the back of their summer coats until they are older. This characteristic has also been observed in
15402-567: The heavy winter coat has been shed. Elk are known to rub against trees and other objects to help remove hair from their bodies. All elk have small and clearly defined rump patches with short tails. They have different coloration based on the seasons and types of habitats, with gray or lighter coloration prevalent in the winter and a more reddish, darker coat in the summer. Subspecies living in arid climates tend to have lighter colored coats than do those living in forests. Most have lighter yellow-brown to orange-brown coats in contrast to dark brown hair on
15553-531: The indigenous Chilean huemul and other herbivores. This negative impact on native animal species has led the IUCN to identify the elk as one of the world's 100 worst invaders. The introduction of deer to New Zealand began in the middle of the 19th century, and current populations are primarily European red deer, with only 15 percent being elk. In 1905 18 American wapiti were released in George Sound in
15704-547: The insufficient genetic material that rejects monophyly of C. canadensis , some researchers consider it premature to include the Manchurian wapiti as a true subspecies of wapiti, and that it likely needs to be elevated to its own species, C. xanthopygus . The Chinese forms (the Sichuan deer , Kansu red deer , and Tibetan red deer ) also belong to the wapiti, and were not distinguishable from each other by mitochondrial DNA studies. These Chinese subspecies are sometimes treated as
15855-403: The kings kept "the larger share of slaves and dared Hawkins to do anything about it". Events worsened for the fleet as it faced storms, Spanish hostility, armed conflict, and finally a hurricane that separated one ship from the rest, and it had to find its own way home. The remaining ships were forced into the port of San Juan de Ulúa near Vera Cruz so they could make repairs. Soon afterward
16006-556: The largest antlers while the Altai wapiti has the smallest. Roosevelt bull antlers can weigh 18 kg (40 lb). The formation and retention of antlers are testosterone -driven. In late winter and early spring, the testosterone level drops, which causes the antlers to shed. During the fall, elk grow a thicker coat of hair, which helps to insulate them during the winter. Both male and female North American elk grow thin neck manes; females of other subspecies may not. By early summer,
16157-666: The late 1990s, they were reintroduced and recolonized in the states of Wisconsin , Kentucky , North Carolina , Tennessee , Georgia , Virginia and West Virginia . In the state of Kentucky, the elk population in 2022 had increased to over 15,000 animals. In 2016, a male elk, likely from the Smoky Mountains population, was sighted in South Carolina for the first time in nearly 300 years. Once locally extinct, dispersing elk are now regularly spotted in Iowa , although
16308-412: The mating season, which may begin in late August. Males try to intimidate rivals by vocalizing and displaying with their antlers. If neither bull backs down, they engage in antler wrestling, sometimes sustaining serious injuries. Bulls have a loud, high-pitched, whistle-like vocalization known as bugling , which advertise the male's fitness over great distances. Unusual for a vocalization produced by
16459-560: The meaning of the word "elk" to English-speakers became rather vague, acquiring a meaning similar to "large deer". The name wapiti is from the Shawnee and Cree word waapiti (in Cree syllabics : ᐙᐱᑎ or ᐚᐱᑎ ), meaning "white rump". There is a subspecies of wapiti in Mongolia called the Altai wapiti ( Cervus canadensis sibiricus ), also known as the Altai maral. According to
16610-417: The motto, Sic Parvis Magna , which means: "Great achievements from small beginnings". A hand coming out of the clouds is labelled Auxilio Divino , which means "By divine aid". Drake first became a member of parliament for the last session of the 4th Parliament of Elizabeth I , on 16 January 1581, for the constituency of Camelford . He did not actively participate at this point, and on 17 February 1581 he
16761-471: The mule trains that transported gold, silver and trade goods from Panama City. One of these men was Diego, who later became a free man after years of service under Drake. Among Drake's adventures along the Spanish Main, his capture of the Spanish silver train at Nombre de Dios on 1 April 1573 made him rich and famous. Near Cabo de Cativas he encountered a French privateer, Guillaume Le Testu , who
16912-474: The newly appointed viceroy of New Spain, Martín Enríquez de Almanza , arrived with a fleet of ships. While still negotiating to resupply and repair, Hawkins' ships were attacked by the Spanish ships in what became known as the Battle of San Juan de Ulúa . The battle ended in an English defeat with all but two of the English ships lost. The Spanish launched a fireship against Hawkins' flagship Jesus of Lübeck , and
17063-407: The plan authored by Sir Richard Grenville , who in 1574 had received a royal patent for that purpose; just a year later this patent had been rescinded after Elizabeth I learned of Grenville's intentions against the Spanish. Elizabeth likely invested in Drake's voyage to South America in 1577, but never issued him a formal commission. This would be the first circumnavigation in 58 years . Diego
17214-540: The port of Valparaíso further north in Chile, where he also captured a ship full of Chilean wine . Near Lima , Drake captured a Spanish ship with 25,000 pesos of Peruvian gold, amounting in value to 37,000 ducats of Spanish money (about £7m by modern standards). Drake also discovered news of another ship, Nuestra Señora de la Concepción , which was sailing west towards Manila . It would come to be called Cacafuego . Drake gave chase and eventually captured
17365-525: The production of ground antler and velvet supplements is also a thriving naturopathic industry in several countries, including the United States, China and Canada . The elk is hunted as a game species, and their meat is leaner, and higher in protein , than beef or chicken . By the 17th century, Alces alces (moose, called "elk" in Europe) had long been extirpated from the British Isles , and
17516-464: The queen with a jewel token commemorating the circumnavigation. Taken as a prize off the Pacific coast of Mexico, it was made of enamelled gold and bore an African diamond and a ship with an ebony hull. To show her gratitude the queen gave him the Drake Jewel , a valuable pendant surrounded by diamonds, rubies and pearls. It was an unusual gift to bestow upon a commoner, and one that Drake wore in
17667-522: The richness and abundance of some exotic taxa while reducing Holcus lanatus —a highly invasive exotic grass which is a major problem in mesic perennial grasslands . Elk Various Cervus elaphus subspecies The elk ( pl. : elk or elks ; Cervus canadensis ), or wapiti , is the second largest species within the deer family, Cervidae , and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia . The word "elk" originally referred to
17818-532: The same species (adapted to local environments through minor changes in appearance and behavior). Populations vary in antler shape and size, body size, coloration and mating behavior. DNA investigations of the Eurasian subspecies revealed that phenotypic variation in antlers, mane and rump patch development are based on "climatic-related lifestyle factors". Of the six subspecies of elk known to have inhabited North America in historical times, four remain, including
17969-477: The same table together, as cheerfully, in sobriety, as ever in their lives they had done aforetime, each cheering up the other, and taking their leave, by drinking each to other, as if some journey only had been in hand. Drake had Thomas Doughty beheaded on 2 July 1578. In January 1580, when Drake became stranded upon a reef off the Celebes Sea, the ship's chaplain, Francis Fletcher, in a sermon suggested that
18120-627: The sensitive endemic ecosystems and species it encounters. As a member of the Artiodactyla order (and distant relative of the Bovidae ), elk are susceptible to several infectious diseases which can be transmitted to and/or from domesticated livestock . Efforts to eliminate infectious diseases from elk populations, primarily by vaccination , have had mixed success. Some cultures revere the elk as having spiritual significance. Antlers and velvet are used in traditional medicines in parts of Asia;
18271-490: The several hundreds historically. Joseph Warren Revere , the grandson of Revolutionary War patriot Paul Revere , wrote in his book Naval Duty in California that he counted 400 elk in a single herd on Pt. Reyes in the 1840s. Stephen J. Richardson, son of Marin County pioneer Captain William A. Richardson , wrote "I think the largest herd in the world roamed over the deep grasslands of Point Reyes...I fully believe there were
18422-435: The smallest of the elk subspecies in North America, the tule elk were the dominant large ungulate in California prior to the arrival of the Spanish. The average weight of adult males is only 450 to 550 lb (200 to 250 kg) and females have an average of 375 to 425 lb (170 to 193 kg). Although tule elk have been reported as half the size of the Roosevelt elk ( C. c. roosevelti ), and sometimes referred to as
18573-497: The species "red deer", but noted in parentheses that they were "for their unusual largeness improperly termed Elks by ignorant people". Both Thomas Jefferson 's 1785 Notes on the State of Virginia and David Bailie Warden 's 1816 Statistical, Political, and Historical Account of the United States used "red deer" to refer to Cervus canadensis . Members of the genus Cervus (and hence early relatives or possible ancestors of
18724-583: The species as least-concern species . The habitat of Siberian elk in Asia is similar to that of the Rocky Mountain subspecies in North America. During the Late Pleistocene their range was much more extensive, being distributed across Eurasia, with remains being found as far west as France. These populations are most closely related to modern Asian populations of the elk. Their range collapsed at
18875-424: The spring, elk have had some impact on aspen groves which have been declining in some regions where elk exist. Range and wildlife managers conduct surveys of elk pellet groups to monitor populations and resource use. Research in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem has found that supplemental feeding of concentrated alfalfa pellets leads to significant alterations in the elks' microbiome . The elk gut microbiome
19026-508: The start of the Holocene, possibly because they were specialized to cold periglacial tundra-steppe habitat. When this environment was replaced largely by closed forest the red deer might have outcompeted the elk. Relictual populations survived into the early Holocene (until around 3000 years ago) in southern Sweden and the Alps, where the environment remained favorable. Elk were also present in
19177-583: The statewide population at 4,200 in 22 herds. As of 2019, the total Californian population was estimated to be 5,700. Small numbers of tule elk in Point Reyes have tested positive for Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis or "MAP", a wasting disease known as Johne's Disease . The bacteria was apparently transmitted by dairy cattle or spraying of cattle manure on pasturelands. In 2016 more tule elk tested positive after being euthanized so that their gut tissue could be analyzed. Cattle transmitted
19328-481: The strait and caused another, Elizabeth , captained by John Wynter , to return to England, leaving only Pelican . After this passage, Pelican was pushed south and discovered an island that Drake called Elizabeth Island . Drake, like navigators before him, probably reached a latitude of 55°S (according to astronomical data quoted in Richard Hakluyt 's The Principall Navigations, Voiages and Discoveries of
19479-837: The subspecies is the Roosevelt elk ( C. c. roosevelti ), found west of the Cascade Range in the U.S. states of California , Oregon and Washington , and in the Canadian province of British Columbia . Roosevelt elk have been introduced into Alaska , where the largest males are estimated to weigh up to 600 kg (1,300 lb). More typically, male Roosevelt elk weigh around 318 to 499 kg (701 to 1,100 lb), while females weigh 261 to 283 kg (575 to 624 lb). Male tule elk weigh 204–318 kg (450–701 lb) while females weigh 170–191 kg (375–421 lb). The whole weights of adult male Manitoban elk range from 288 to 478 kilograms (635 to 1,054 lb). Females have
19630-485: The tip of Africa, eventually rounded the Cape of Good Hope , and reached Sierra Leone by 22 July 1580. On 26 September 1580, Golden Hind sailed into Plymouth with Drake and 59 remaining crew aboard, along with a rich cargo of spices and captured Spanish treasures. The queen's half-share of the cargo surpassed the rest of the crown's income for that entire year. Drake was hailed as the first Englishman to circumnavigate
19781-492: The trail, to within a mile of the city while the Cimarróns performed reconnaissance. The next morning, 1 April, they surprised the mule convoy and seized more than 200,000 pesos' worth of treasure. After their attack on the richly laden mule train, Drake and his party found that they had captured around 20 tons of silver and gold. They buried much of the treasure, as it was too much for their party to carry, and made off with
19932-447: The treasure ship, which proved his most profitable capture. Aboard Nuestra Señora de la Concepción , Drake found 36 kilograms (80 lb) of gold, a golden crucifix , jewels , 13 chests of silver reals and 26,000 kilograms (26 long tons) of silver. Drake was naturally pleased at his good luck in capturing the galleon, and he showed it by dining with the captured ship's officers and gentleman passengers. He offloaded his captives
20083-432: The treasure they had accumulated. Drake denied both accusations asserting he had distributed all profits among the crew and that he had believed Hawkins was lost when he left. The bitter end of the fourth voyage turned Drake's life in a different direction: thereafter he would not pursue trading and slaving but would, instead, dedicate himself to attacking Spanish possessions wherever he found them. Drake's hostility towards
20234-415: The tule marshes near Buena Vista Lake by game warden A. C. Tibbett in 1874. Miller ordered his men to protect the elk and is credited for the survival of the subspecies. After his death, the huge Miller-Lux ranch was subdivided and the hunting of the elk resumed. The population was reduced to 72 head. By 1895, habitat loss and poaching had reduced the elk population to only 28. In the years that followed,
20385-399: The two are distinct species . The elk's wider rump-patch and paler-hued antlers are key morphological differences that distinguish C. canadensis from C. elaphus . Although it is currently only native to North America, Central , East and North Asia , elk once had a much wider distribution in the past; prehistoric populations were present across Eurasia and into Western Europe during
20536-568: The two species have freely inter-bred in New Zealand 's Fiordland National Park . The cross-bred animals have resulted in the disappearance of virtually all pure elk blood from the area. Key morphological differences that distinguish C. canadensis from C. elaphus are the former's wider rump patch and paler-hued antlers. There are numerous subspecies of elk described, with six from North America and four from Asia, although some taxonomists consider them different ecotypes or races of
20687-611: The types of plants and trees found, and in other animal and plant species dependent upon them. As in Chile and Argentina, the IUCN has declared that red deer and elk populations in New Zealand are an invasive species. Elk have played an important role in the cultural history of a number of peoples. Neolithic petroglyphs from Asia depict antler-less female elk, which have been interpreted as symbolizing life and sustenance. They were also frequently overlaid with boats and associated with rivers, suggesting they also represented paths to
20838-609: The underworld. Petroglyphs of elk were carved into cliffs by the Ancestral Puebloans of the southwestern U.S. hundreds of years ago. The elk was of particular importance to the Lakota and played a spiritual role in their society. The male elk was admired for its ability to attract mates, and Lakota men will play a courting flute imitating a bugling elk to attract women. Men used elks' antlers as love charms and wore clothes decorated with elk images. The Rocky Mountain elk
20989-415: The wild. In some subspecies that suffer less predation, they may live an average of 15 years in the wild. As is true for many species of deer, especially those in mountainous regions, elk migrate into areas of higher altitude in the spring, following the retreating snows, and the opposite direction in the fall. Hunting pressure impacts migration and movement. During the winter, they favor wooded areas for
21140-578: The winter in San Julián before attempting the Strait of Magellan . On his voyage to interfere with Spanish treasure fleets, Drake had several quarrels with his co-commander Thomas Doughty and on 3 June 1578, accused him of witchcraft and charged him with mutiny and treason in a shipboard trial. Drake claimed to have a (never presented) commission from the Queen to carry out such acts and denied Doughty
21291-546: The woes of the voyage were connected to the unjust demise of Doughty, Drake chained the clergyman to a hatch cover and pronounced him excommunicated. The three remaining ships of his convoy departed for the Magellan Strait at the southern tip of South America. A few weeks later in September 1578 Drake made it to the Pacific, but violent storms destroyed one of the three ships, Marigold (captained by John Thomas) in
21442-655: Was a purser , according to the English chronicler Edmund Howes , and in the 1550s, Drake's father found the young man a position with the owner and master of a small barque , one of the small traders plying between the Medway River and the Dutch coast. Drake likely engaged in commerce along the coast of England, the Low Countries and France. The ship's master was so satisfied with the young Drake's conduct that, being unmarried and childless at his death, he bequeathed
21593-406: Was an English explorer and privateer best known for his circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition between 1577 and 1580. This was the first English circumnavigation, and second circumnavigation overall. He is also known for participating in the early English slaving voyages of his cousin, Sir John Hawkins , and John Lovell . Having started as a simple seaman, in 1588 he was part of
21744-594: Was first noticed in the state of Washington in the late 1990s in the Cowlitz River basin, with sporadic reports of deformed hooves. Since then, the disease has spread rapidly with increased sightings throughout southwest Washington and into Oregon. The disease is characterised by deformed, broken, or missing hooves and leads to severe lameness in elk. The primary cause is not known, but it is associated with treponeme bacteria, which are known to cause digital dermatitis in commercial livestock. The mode of transmission
21895-567: Was granted leave of absence "for certain his necessary business in the service of Her Majesty". Drake became the Mayor of Plymouth in September 1581. During his tenure, he installed a compass in the town's Hoe , and passed a law regulating the local pilchard trade. During his term as lord mayor, Drake contracted to construct a leat , or canal, to bring water from the River Meavy , and to build six new gristmills on it from which he derived
22046-530: Was in command of the 80-ton warship Havre , and joined forces with him in a combined fleet. Drake had determined to intercept the mule train at the Campos River, two leagues from Nombre de Dios, and instructed the captains of his pinnaces to meet them at the Francisca River on 3 April to carry them off after the raid. The combined English and French raiding parties marched through the forest towards
22197-407: Was late in July 1572. Drake captured Nombre de Dios, but he was badly wounded when the Spanish arrived from Panama, and his forces had to retreat without the gold, silver, pearls and jewels stored in the royal treasury. Rather than sacking Nombre de Dios again, Drake raided Spanish galleons along the coast and with his Cimarrón (African slaves who had escaped from their Spanish owners) allies looted
22348-653: Was once again employed under Drake; his fluency in Spanish and English would make him a useful interpreter when Spaniards or Spanish-speaking Portuguese were captured. He was employed as Drake's servant and was paid wages like the rest of the crew. Drake and the fleet set out from Plymouth on 15 November 1577, but bad weather threatened him and his fleet. They were forced to take refuge in Falmouth, Cornwall , from where they returned to Plymouth for repair. After this major setback, Drake set sail again on 13 December aboard Pelican with four other ships and 164 men. He soon added
22499-532: Was recognized as a relative of the red deer ( Cervus elaphus ) of Europe, and so Cervus canadensis were referred to as "red deer". Richard Hakluyt refers to North America as a "lande ... full of many beastes, as redd dere" in his 1584 Discourse Concerning Western Planting . Similarly, John Smith 's 1616 A Description of New England referred to red deer. Sir William Talbot 's 1672 English translation of John Lederer 's Latin Discoveries likewise called
22650-532: Was to sail back south, along the Spanish coast, and return to the Atlantic Ocean via the Strait of Magellan (or possibly Cape Horn); this route was ruled out, however, to avoid the dangerous weather near the strait and presumed Spanish resistance all along the coast. This left two possible routes – continue north up the American coast, and return to the Atlantic by the rumored Strait of Anián ; or, sail across
22801-684: Was unable to acknowledge Drake's accomplishment officially. Drake was considered a hero in England and a pirate in Spain for his raids. Drake was present at the 1575 Rathlin Island massacre in Ireland. Sir John Norris (or Norreys ) and Drake, acting on the instructions of Sir Henry Sidney and the Earl of Essex , Robert Devereux, laid siege to Rathlin Castle . Despite its surrender, Norris' troops killed all
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