Daniel Xu – March 3, 2014
Stuck on the National Elk Refuge, the pronghorns must now attempt to survive through the winter.
Image from www.naturespicsonline.com on the Wikimedia Commons
Stuck on the National Elk Refuge, the pronghorns must now attempt to survive through the winter. Just south of Grand Teton National Park, the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming is home to one of the largest elk herds in the world. This winter however, a small group of pronghorns will be joining the more than 8,000 elk in the sanctuary. According to the Associated Press, the pronghorn entered the refuge in an attempt to find a better wintering ground than their usual home near Jackson Hole, where 400 pronghorn usually stay during the summer. In winter months, most of these animals move south to the Upper Green River Basin. This year, 50 pronghorn remained.
While the rest of the herd left before the first heavy snows, the group remaining in the refuge now must contend with an unfamiliar landscape during winter. Wildlife officials are keeping an eye on the small herd, although none of the animals wear a radio collar. So far no deaths have been recorded.