Magdalen

It’s hard to imagine now, but just 25 years ago, there wasn’t a single elk roaming the mountains of North Carolina. Our largest native deer species had been hunted to extinction in the mid-1800s. Generations of Western North Carolinians grew up without ever seeing one in the wild. They were part of our natural history, but no longer part of our living landscape. That changed in 2001, when the National Park Service partnered with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to bring elk back to Western North Carolina. And what a success story it’s been. Today, elk once again roam the mountains, graze in the valleys, and draw visitors from all over the country. The elk have become such a vital part of the scenery that it's hard to believe there was ever a time when they weren't there. I'm grateful we got to see them return. There's something special about watching a piece of our natural heritage find its way home. ❤️