Capture efforts are underway in Arizona as part of a joint effort by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR), Arizona Game and Fish Department and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
“We caught 29 the first day, 25 cows and four bulls. All were fitted with GPS collars, West Virginia ear tags, metal USDA tags, microchips, and we collected DNA samples,” Chris Ryan, WVDNR biologist, told the West Virginia Metro News. “The goal is catch 60 with 50 cows and 10 bulls.”
Wildlife workers on site fired nets to capture the animals, sedated them and then prepared them for a short helicopter ride to a nearby trailer.
Once the on-the-ground work wraps up, the elk will be transported some 2,000 miles east to augment continuing restoration efforts in the Mountain State.
Go here to watch a video of the capture efforts.
(Photo source: West Virginia Division of Natural Resources)