Elk

Siberian and American Elk (Cervus canadensis), are the second prime species of deer in the world, after the Moose (Alces alces). Elk are also referred to as "Wapiti", which is from the Native American word waapiti, or "white rump" used by the Shawnee. Elk are extensively distributed across North America and Eastern Asia, and have been transplanted to additional countries such as New Zealand and Argentina. American Elk are not to be puzzled with the European animal also known as the Elk, which is the Moose of North America. Early European explorers to North America, who were recognizable with the smaller Red Deer of Europe, believed that the much larger North American animal looked extra like moose, which in Europe is called an elk. The renaming has become part of the ordinary vocabulary of North Americans. Until lately, the elk and the European Red deer (Cervus elaphus) were considered the same species, but recent DNA evidence has established that they are different species. According to the study, another even more intimately related species to the elk than the red deer is the sika deer (Cervus nippon) of Asia.

Elk are one of the largest mammals in Northern Asia, Eastern Asia, and North America. They have a single mating ritual in which males perform posturing, antler wrestling and especially bugling, a loud series of screams designed to help attract females and to found dominance over other males. Elk populations are currently increasing in North America, but population figures in Eastern Asia are not well established. In some parts of the world, where elk have been transplanted, they have proven to be highly adaptable and are considered to be an invasive species that may pose a threat to obtainable endemic species.

Adult elk usually stay in single-sex groups for most of the year. During the mating ritual, called the rut, grown-up bulls compete for the attentions of the cows (female elk) and will then try to defend cows that they attract. Rival bulls (male elk) challenge opponents by bellowing and walking in similar. This allows combatants to assess each other's antlers, body size and fighting prowess. If neither bull backs down a clash of antlers can occur, and bulls sometimes sustain serious injuries.