Bull elk, antlers bearing velvet, Gibbon Meadow. Elk are the most abundant large mammal found in Yellowstone National Park. More than 30,000 elk from 8 different herds summer in Yellowstone and approximately 15,000 to 22,000 winter in the park. Bulls grow antlers annually from the time they are nearly one year old. When mature, a bulls rack may have 6 to 8 points or tines on each side and weigh more than 30 pounds. The antlers are shed in March or April and begin regrowing in May, when the bony growth is nourished by blood vessels and covered by furry-looking velvet.
Species: Elk, Cervus canadensis
Location: Gibbon Meadows, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Image ID: 13154
The Shepherd Faustulus Bringing Romulus and Remus to his Wife, Nicolas Mignard (1654), Musee du Louvre, Paris.
Location: Musee du Louvre, Paris, France
Image ID: 35609
Reindeer on South Georgia Island. Reindeer (known as caribou when wild) were introduced to South Georgia Island by Norway in the early 20th Century. There are now two distinct herds which are permanently separated by glaciers.
Species: Reindeer, Rangifer tarandus
Location: Fortuna Bay, South Georgia Island
Image ID: 24592