There are about 250 elk in Southwest Virginia, and more in Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia. In North Carolina, about 35 red wolves live in the wild. Both species were once declared extinct from this part of the country. A new book explores efforts to reintroduce these and other wild animals.
Wild elk in Virginia draw thousands of tourists a year. “One of the many things it does is it allows us to reimagine what the landscape had been like hundreds of years ago,” said writer Andrew Moore. His new book “The Beasts of the East” explores why people are drawn to wild mammals like elk.
These massive animals used to live here but were killed off, and in recent decades, biologists reintroduced elk to Appalachia.
But in 2023, a newly completed highway in Buchanan County began bringing more cars and trucks to an area near where the elk roam. In the past three years, nearly 50 elk have been killed in road collisions in Virginia. The state Department of Wildlife Resources is applying for a federal grant to build elk crossings.
Wildlife crossing projects are also being built in North Carolina, where red wolves were brought back from extinction. “Which actually predates and inform the recovery of wolves in Yellowstone National Park,” explained Moore.
He also asks about smaller, less-visible animals. “There is a lot of learning that I think has to happen if we’re going to continue to save, and in some cases restore, populations of wildlife,” Moore said. “Think of all the mussels and salamanders that most Americans don’t know even exist.”
Moore acknowledged these projects take resources, and not everybody agrees on which animals deserve our money and land.
Despite occasional conflicts around these reintroduction projects, Moore said people from diverse backgrounds often find common ground. He pointed to the elk reintroductions in Appalachia, which brings environmentalists and hunters together. These groups continue to help maintain and support the herds.
