EUROPEAN ELK
Alces alces alces

European elk became extinct in Scotland in the period 3000-7000 years ago, due to the warming climate. They are now confined to the woodlands of the northern hemisphere and are found throughout Scandinavia and into Siberia. A separate subspecies is found in North America, Alces alces americanus. They are called moose in North America, from the Algonquin Native American word "moos" meaning "twig or bark eater".

Elk are the largest members of the deer family of Cervidae, which also includes red deer, roe deer, sika deer and fallow deer. The male of all these species grow and shed antlers each year. A fully grown bull elk can stand over 2m at the shoulders and has large palmate antlers (shaped like an open hand) which weigh up to 20kg in weight. The antlers are grown every year from April/May and cast off in November.

They have very long legs, which make them appear ungainly while standing but very elegant when trotting. Designed for speed and endurance, they can gallop at up to 60km per hour and are also excellent swimmers. This comes in useful when they need to escape predators such as wolves, lynx and brown bear.

Elk have a very long muzzle where the upper lip overhangs the lower lip and they have very long hair on the neck and throat, almost resembling a mane. The bull elk also has a peculiar bell shaped sac which hangs from his neck.

Adult elk live a mainly solitary life for most of the year, although females do sometimes form very small groups. Bull elk rut in the autumn and will fiercely defend territories from other males. A female elk will give birth to one or two young at a time who are able to follow their mother only 10 to 15 minutes after their birth.

Elk have a very varied seasonal diet, which is cut drastically in winter due to lack of available vegetation. From May till October, their diet consists of high-protein, low fibre herbs and leaves. They will browse from trees, particularly birch and willow and will also eat aquatic vegetation, submerging their heads (they can close their nostrils) and sometimes their whole bodies in the water. They will also graze grass but adults must kneel to do this as their necks are short in proportion to their legs. During the winter, they rely heavily on the poor nutrients found in pine needles.