Bull Elk Stock Photo

This magnificent bull elk of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park lost one section of his antler in a fight during the rut. The elk in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are spreading far and wide. At one time the mountains of the Southern Appalachia were home to elk, but were eliminated by over hunting and loss of habitat. In 2001 twenty-five elk were reintroduced to the area. You can now see elk in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park visitor center in Cherokee, North Carolina.