The world’s largest remaining herd of the native rare Tule elk are dying of thirst at the Point Reyes National Seashore after ranchers erected an eight-foot high fence separating the elk from leased dairy and meat farms. The National Park Service built the fences to appease cattle ranchers holding leases in the park.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, there are 445 tule elk; a prime tourist attraction coming to admire the magnificent antlered animals. In 1978, a small herd of 30 tule elk had been reintroduced onto the land – a preserve surrounded by three miles of fencing. Five years ago, the herd was almost all wiped out because of a drought – this year looks to be the same.
On Sunday, In Defense of Animals (IDA), held a demonstration accompanied by ForElk, Tree Spirit Project and Rancho Compassion calling on the National Park Service to remove the fencing. So far, six elk have been found dead after dying of thirst.
“Thirsty elk are currently beset by drought, wildfire smoke, and a heatwave, and caged into the preserve by a fence, which prevents them from accessing alternative water sources. The NPSPS has sided with local ranchers and refuses to provide water for fenced-in elk. The Park has blocked In Defense of Animals and our partners from delivering water to the dying elk.”
Ranchers have 5,600 cows grazing and drinking water which greatly outnumber the elk, but refuse to let the elk share the drinking water, calling the area unsustainable to both the cows and the elk.
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They did this before, and they should have stayed booted out of Point Reyes when their lease expired!!!!
Please someone step in to get water access for these poor animals. Tragic.
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Why do ranchers have so much frigging power…….the fence needs to be torn down at night by activists. This is unconscionable on every level……
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It gets worse – they want a cull and repeatedly to cull, to keep the herd at a certain number and not create any new herds. They want to be able to bring in other livestock such as goats, pigs and chickens to ‘diversify in the event of dips in the price of beef’. What about animal waste, and where will it go?
They want to be able to grow row crops such as artichoke farms, and where is the water going to come from? You can see that they are eventually going to phase out the Tule elk altogether at some point. No thought to wildfires, drought and climate change.
Are the voters brain dead out there or what? What selfish, bad ‘tenants’, and I hope they can be sued. (hopefully into bankruptcy).
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Here’s more info. I honestly cannot believe these ballsy, nervy ranchers who are on a lease there and the Park Service defending it. I guess saying the ‘venison will go to charity’ is supposed to sound like a good thing? How dare they. I really do hope and pray that this offensive, ridiculous proposal will be challenged in court. How can they even think of bringing more livestock into a so-called national park, and to suggest growing crops in there too? Greedy bastards. They should be booted out. It’s bad enough with cattle already:
https://www.radio.com/kcbsradio/blogs/kcbs-radio-afternoon-news/feds-propose-culling-elk-population-drakes-beach
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