JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - The first elk have been released into the wild as part of a repopulation effort in southern Missouri.
The Missouri Department of Conservation says 34 adult elk and five new calves were released this week from their three-acre holding site at the Peck Ranch Conservation Area. Conservation staff members say they believe that additional female elk remain pregnant and could give birth anytime.
The animals have been fitted with GPS radio collars to help track their movement, health and preferred types of vegetation.
The elk were brought to Missouri from Kentucky.