Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
by a stunning bronze of a ram and led inside to several hands-on exhibits that will delight
little ones and fascinate animal lovers, 16 mounts of wild sheep from around the world,
and a great little gift shop with everything from T-shirts to children's toys and wares by
local artists. November-March, the center offers tours to the winter range of the Whiskey
Mountain herd, providing an excellent opportunity to see the bighorn sheep in their natural,
windswept habitat. Reservations for the 3-5-hour tours should be made at least 24 hours in
advance by calling the center. The cost is $50 per person.
THE ELK CONUNDRUM
Established in 1912, the National Elk Refuge was the first Wyoming state-run feed-
ing ground for elk. In the 1930s and 1940s, more feeding grounds were created to
help the animals survive the harsh winters and in part to keep them from entering
areas reserved for cattle grazing. The thriving herd in Jackson ultimately was used
to replenish other herds of elk and aid the reintroduction of elk throughout the coun-
try. However, as a result of the large number of elk concentrated in these feeding
grounds, the animals are much more susceptible to contagious diseases including
brucellosis and, more recently, chronic wasting disease. Wyoming lost its federal
brucellosis-free status in 2004 when cattle acquired the disease after coming into
contact with elk from the refuge.
In 2005 the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal Plant Health Inspection
Service reported that there was a 50-80 percent rate of brucellosis infection among
elk on feed lots, and though that number has dropped to 30 percent in more recent
reports, it is still substantially higher than the 1-3 percent infection rate in wild free-
ranging elk. Before the Elk Refuge was created, the elk from southern Yellowstone
would migrate and spread past the area of the refuge into southwestern Wyoming.
As the winter came to a close, they moved back to their summer habitat. Today it's
believed that the 11,000 elk in the Jackson herd alone migrate to and from the refuge
at the risk of spreading both brucellosis and chronic wasting disease. As of 2013, the
National Elk Refuge is one of 23 feeding grounds for elk in the western part of the
state.
The question now is, what can be done? The argument has been made that the
elk should return to their historic migration routes and original winter ranges rather
than being concentrated in the feed lots. Today, however, many of those routes and
