Authorities in Austria captured an elk, referred to as Emil, after it was observed in numerous locations across Central Europe this summer. The young male elk was tranquilized by wildlife officials on Monday as it approached a motorway near Sattledt, Upper Austria. Following the capture, Emil was fitted with a GPS tag and released near the Czech-Austrian border, close to the Sumava forest in South Bohemia.
The operation’s coordination with Czech authorities remains unclear. The Sumava area is known to have an estimated population of 10 to 20 elk, and there are hopes that Emil will integrate into this group, rather than continuing its extensive journey.
Emil’s travels began when he was first sighted near Ludgerovice in the northeastern Czech Republic on June 2, after seemingly entering from Poland. Since then, he has traversed approximately 500 kilometers and has been noted to visit 60 towns and villages across four countries: Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Austria. His journey included crossing roads, railways, local streams, and even swimming across the River Danube. Emil has been spotted near cultural events, including a heavy metal festival in South Moravia.
Historically, elk were native to Czech forests but faced extinction in the Middle Ages due to hunting. Various reintroduction efforts over the centuries had failed until successful initiatives began in the 1970s. Currently, the Czech elk population is estimated to be around 50, significantly less than Poland’s population, which is believed to number in the tens of thousands.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gvk0y8rgvo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss