| Welcome to the City of Marshfield Web Site! |
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| Zorro is our only
bull elk
(male elk) at the zoo. He was born June 20th, 1994 at the Fritzfair Game
Farm in Owen, Wisconsin. He lives with several female
elk (cows). Zorro is very sociable and the most
outgoing of all of our elk.
He is very easy to spot because he has such large
antlers on his head for most of the year. Every
year, Zorro’s antlers are auctioned off as a zoo fundraiser. In
the late spring and early summer you may see our elk's fur
coat not looking very pretty. Don't worry this is the time
they are shedding their winter fur coats.
All of our elk enjoy
treats. When their keeper goes into the pen to feed them they
sometimes come up looking just for treats. This helps us get a
close up view of the herd to make sure everyone is looking
healthy.
The elk can been seen from
the zoo's Large
Animal Drive, this path can be taken both on foot or by
car.
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| American elk are
members of the deer family, although they are much bigger than
whitetail deer. A
bull (male elk) can be 5 feet tall at the shoulder.
That is as tall as a lot of people!
A bull elk can also weigh up to 700 pounds.
Each year, bull elk grow antlers while cow elk
(females) never grow antlers.
Elk antlers are shed every spring as the bull prepares
to grow new, larger antlers.
Elk are herbivores that like to eat grasses, bushes,
and even tree bark. Elk
also like to drink a lot of water.
In the summer, you can often find them lounging about
in lakes or ponds. During
the winter months, elk eat snow to satisfy their thirst. |
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American Elk Range in North America |
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For more information, please visit the
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/critter/mammal/elk.htm.
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