The American Elk

by Kip, age 9, grade 3

The American Elk is much like the red deer found in Europe. The bull is about 5 feet tall at the shoulder. It can weigh from 700 to 1,100 lbs. The antlers can be more than five feet across. The cow is smaller than a bull. It has NO! antlers. Elk are brownish gray. Their legs, neck, and head are darker brown. They eat grass, twigs, shrubs, and fir needles. Many elk in the U.S.A. and Canada starve in the the winter because they don't have enough food. Some die from diseases. Cougars and wolves are enemies of the elk. There used to be elk over most of the U.S. and Canada. Now they can only be found west of the Rocky Mountains.


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