A lone female elk has been making herself at home in the suburban green spaces of Colwood.
The Roosevelt elk was spotted in the early evening hours of Aug. 8 in an area of big trees.
Photographer Dunc Malcolm didn’t want to give away the exact location, fearing camera bugs and interactions with pets, but said it was the second time he’s seen the elk grazing and lounging in the area.
The last time was in late January and early February in the same area. At the time it was thought the elk was pregnant.
No calf was reported in the latest sighting.
Malcolm, a long-time professional photographer, said the elk appeared calm and looked straight at him from about 50 yards away. “She was a bit curious and certainly was aware I was there,” said Malcolm, who used a telephoto lens. “But she wasn’t agitated at all.”
He said judging by his photos, “it’s is clear that she is very comfortable in her new surroundings.”
Malcolm said she is likely from a herd of Roosevelt elk roaming the Sooke Hills, part of a larger herd established in the Port Renfrew area.
The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship said the populations of Roosevelt elk are generally healthy on the Island, with larger herds around Lake Cowichan, the areas east of Nanaimo and around Duncan, as well as northwest of Campbell River.
Provincial biologists organize the animals into distinct elk population units, where they are assessed and managed. The herds generally follow the boundaries of major watersheds.
Smaller groups have splintered from the Port Renfrew herds into the Sooke and Metchosin area, the ministry said.
“While natural dispersal is typically slow, some herds have expanded in recent years, including into the Sooke-Metchosin elk population unit, near Langford and Colwood,” the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said that while Roosevelt elk are social animals, individuals — especially cows during calving season — may temporarily separate from herds.
Other times, small groups or individual elk can break off from herds to find new foraging opportunities. There could also be changes in “social dynamics” within the herd, or the elk may be just trying to avoid predators.
“Herd composition is fluid, and herds may split to form new separate groups,” said the statement from the ministry.
Aerial surveys by provincial biologists, usually in March, frequently observe solitary cows or cow-calf pairs.
The province said the population of Roosevelt elk was about 5,500 in the West Coast Region in 2014, and 1,600 on the South Coast, and their rise is considered significant after they were nearly wiped out a century ago on Vancouver Island and Lower Mainland due to over-hunting.
The B.C. Wildlife Federation said the elk population is around 4,500 on Vancouver Island and they are becoming a common sight in some areas, including Youbou on Cowichan Lake where they roam freely along the roads and in the yards of residents.
In other places, however, like the Cowichan Valley and south of Nanaimo, increasing elk herds are overgrazing hay fields and pastures meant for cattle.
The ministry said the relationship between wildlife and commercial agriculture can be “complex, and at times there are conflicts.” It said agricultural land can cover large swaths and overlap with prime Roosevelt elk habitat.
The province is trying to find a balance, managing the herds with hunting.
First Nations and licensed hunters in B.C. are allowed to hunt in the fall when elk are at their fattest and when food and cover are abundant. In some cases, specific hunting seasons may start earlier or run later in the year.
The ministry said provincial staff work closely with First Nations representatives to support elk conservation through sustainable harvest management practices.
Asked if the Sooke-Metchosin herd would migrate into the city eventually, the ministry did not provide an answer.
Malcolm said if the elk start coming into town on a more frequent basis, the thousands of deer in Greater Victoria would have some “heavy competition.”
Roosevelt elk (Cervus canadensis roosevelti) are the largest of the four subspecies of elk in North America. Mature bulls weigh up to 540 kilograms. Females can weigh up to 280 kilograms. They range from the Pacific Northwest to some parts of northern California.
