Save the Tule Elk! Petition to the National Park Service
Tule elk are a beloved native species essential to the ecosystem at Point Reyes National Seashore in California, and the National Park Service (NPS) is responsible for protecting them. But your agency is failing at that task — and numerous elk are suffering and dying due to this negligence.
I am calling on you to take immediate action to prevent the starvation and dehydration of these imperiled animals. Tule elk are a native California subspecies, who were brought back from the brink of extinction after their population plummeted to near-zero during the 1800s. They now number in the hundreds — a conservation success — but their current situation threatens their population once again. Though the elk are protected by law, the NPS is prioritizing the interests of private farmers and ranchers — who lease a portion of this public land for grazing cows — over the well-being of the elk by keeping them confined behind a fence.
For decades, the NPS has maintained the fence restricting the elk to a specific managed area, preventing them from competing with cows for food and water. But as drought conditions in the region have worsened, food and water for the elk have become scarce. Three of the four water sources inside the confined area are now dry, and not every herd has access to the sole remaining water source.
Prevented by the fence from traveling further in search of food and water, more than 150 elk died in 2020 alone. As the drought worsens, these animals’ lives are in grave danger. I urge you to make certain that the elk have access to sufficient food and water and to take immediate action necessary to protect the elk from starvation and dehydration. Thank you for your attention to the plight of these innocent animals.
