Elk in a perfect world

An elk, or wapiti, photographed in the snow.
By any definition, the elk is a majestic animal.  One of the largest members of the deer family, it proudly strolls through its habitat barely aware of the snow.  Its long and powerful limbs cut through all but the deepest drifts.  The young male above is still in the process of growing its antlers.  He has only recently shed the previous ones and the new stalks will grow quickly in size.  In a few months, the velvet covering them will be shed during rutting season.  Then he will put them to good use in shoring up a harem.

I photographed this today while traveling through Jasper National Park.  He was one of about thirty adults moving in linear order as a single column.  I liked the fact that they were unafraid of the people and cars around them; we did not bother them and they did not bother us.  I suppose some may complain about elk droppings, or elk grazing grasses and browsing bushes, but think of the big picture here.  Then there is the ever-present complaint about slowing down traffic.  How many times has humanity devastated populations to the point of near eradication or extiction?  Their presence is not a nuisance, but rather a blessing.

I think of how the wild places of the world are slowly being usurped.  The native inhabitants are being poached, hunted, starved, and replaced by invasive species to the detriment of all.  I am thankful that Canada still has a lot of wild places left but concerned about what the future holds.  What would it look like if we showed the other inhabitants of the Earth the respect they deserved instead of the abuse they get?  What I saw today could very well be the model for this.  Elk in a perfect world.  How hard can it be?

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