The Merriam's elk (''Cervus canadensis merriami'') is an

extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...

subspecies of elk once found in the arid lands of the southwestern

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(in

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and

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), as well as in

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. From the first New World arrival of

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ans, unregulated

hunting Hunting is the Human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products (fur/hide (sk ...

, rapid growth of farms and ranches, and uncontrolled livestock grazing had driven the subspecies into extinction. Actual records on wildlife management were not reliably maintained until the late 19th century; the population of Merriam’s elk was experiencing notable decline by the beginning of the 20th century, with the (approximate) year of extinction being 1906. Another subspecies of elk, the eastern elk (''Cervus canadensis canadensis''), also became extinct at roughly the same time. Little is known about this subspecies, other than that it once numbered in the tens of millions, and was the main elk subspecies inhabiting areas east of the Mississippi River (though it was noted to have ranged as far west as Wyoming and Utah). Once found in virtually all of the states of the northeast and southeast (including all of the Eastern Seaboard from Maine to Georgia, and the

Midwest The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...

ern United States), the eastern elk disappeared prior to serious, scientific studies or surveys having taken place. Elk from

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were introduced throughout this area in 1913, and are reasonably common in the area today. A notable population seems to be thriving in and around the

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, the

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, and the Daniel Boone National Forest. As for Merriam’s elk, as of 2017, the

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the stat ...

(IUCN) has reclassified all North American elk subspecies (excluding the Tule and Roosevelt elk) as ''C. c. canadensis''. If this taxonomy is accurate, then the Merriam’s subspecies is not truly extinct but, rather, extirpated (driven away) or depleted from large swathes of its former home range.

References

Cervus Mammal extinctions since 1500 Extinct mammals Extinct animals of the United States Extinct animals of Mexico Species made extinct by human activities {{eventoedungulate-stub

See also

References