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Protected area in California, U.S. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Tule Elk State Natural Reserve, formerly the Tupman Zoological Reserve, is a protected area operated by California State Parks for the benefit of the general public and the at-risk tule elk subspecies of indigenous Cervus canadensis. There are usually about 30 to 35 tule elk in the conservation herd on the 960-acre (390 ha) reserve in Kern County, California, United States.
Tule Elk State Natural Reserve | |
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Location | 8653 Station Road, Buttonwillow, CA 93206 |
Nearest city | Tupman, California |
Coordinates | 35.3214°N 119.3642°W |
Created | 1932 |
Operator | California State Parks |
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Once upon a time, tule elk were to California's Central Valley what the American bison was to the Great Plains. As a Modesto Bee staff writer explained in 1976, "In less populated times grizzly bears roamed the Central Valley and tule elk and pronghorn antelope grazed on the perennial bunch grasses."[1] Under hunting and habitat pressure, the population of indigenous tule elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes) in California collapsed to double digits by the late 1800s.[2] Rancher Henry Miller of the Miller and Lux Ranch, however, made a project out of sheltering the surviving individuals that lingered in the wetlands surrounding Kern County's Buena Vista Lake.[3][2] By 1914, the Kern County herd protected by Miller had grown to about 400 head.[2] The Tupman Zoological Reserve was established in 1932 with about 175 tule elk from the Miller and Lux Ranch herd.[4][5] The state of California took over the site in 1953.[5][4] The Tule Elk State Natural Reserve has constructed ponds, and supplemental food is provided for the animals,[6] without which the population could not survive.[7] The ponds are necessary since local waterways do not flow through the reserve unless water from canals is diverted to the historic Buena Vista Slough, a slow moving waterway which historically created the tule bog habitats preferred by the elk.[8] Native plant species found at the reserve include tule, milkweed, mule fat, willow, mesquite, rabbitbrush, and a variety of wildflowers including goldfields.[9]
Other herds in the state, such as those in the Owens Valley and near San Luis Obispo, were established using individuals from the Tule Elk State Natural Reserve.[2] The Owens Valley herd was established in 1972 with two males and three females from the Tule Elk Reserve.[10] Five bulls and 23 cows from the reserve founded the SLO herd in 1989.[11] As of 2023, there were approximately 6,000 tule elk in the state.[4]
Access to the park is off Stockdale Highway and Morris Road.[5] Admission is $8 per car.[12] Amenities include restrooms, drinking fountains, a visitor center,[13] a viewing platform,[12] and a picnicking area.[13][5]
Most of the reserve's 960 acres are considered ecologically sensitive and are closed to the public.[13] Ranger-led tours are typically offered the fourth Saturday of the month at 10:00 AM, except in December. Pets are prohibited on the ecologically sensitive portion of the reserve.[12][14]
Circa 1993 about 30,000 people visited the park annually.[13] The reserve abuts the Elk Hills Oil Field, formerly the Naval Petroleum Reserve.[15] Nearby protected areas include Kern National Wildlife Refuge and Fort Tejon State Historic Park.[16]
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