European elk
The elk (Alces alces) is often called the 'King of the Forest'. The name is fitting because the elk is Sweden's largest animal and because the males' horns form a crown.
Largest deer in the world
Elk are the largest living deer in the world. Swedish elk can weigh up to 550 kilograms, but in other parts of the world they can weigh much more than that. The color of the elk is often brown, but it can also range from dark brown to light brown or gray. The elk's large ears give them good hearing, which is an adaptation for detecting predators.
Only bulls have horns
Bull elk have horns of varying sizes. The horns are used to impress females and to scare away other bulls. Large horns weigh a lot and shows others that the bull is healthy. When the mating season is over, the bull sheds its horns, but new ones grow in time for the next season.
They mostly live alone
Elk don't live in herds but can still be seen moving in groups, for example when an elk cow walks with her calves or sometimes when elk form groups when they migrate between winter and summer ranges. Bulls also join the elk cow during the mating season. The elk cow can only be impregnated for a single day, so the bull must stay close until the time comes.
Big eaters and record poopers
Elk are herbivores and a single elk can eat up to 30 kilograms of food per day during the summer. Plants are difficult to digest, and much of what elk eat comes back out as droppings. 15 large piles of brown balls in a day is quite normal for an elk.
Quick facts
Food: Grasses, herbs, berries, deciduous and coniferous trees
Weight: 200–550 kg in Sweden
Height: Up to 200 cm
Mating season: September–October
Young: 1–3 calves are born in May–June
Lifespan: Up to 25 years
The elk in the past, present and future
From extinct to common
In 1789, the common people regained the right to hunt, and as times were hard, there was such a fierce hunt for elk that by the end of the 19th century the elk was almost completely extinct in Sweden. The population recovered slowly at first, but then increased rapidly. Today, their number has reduced to around 250,000, but Sweden still has one of the densest elk populations in the world.
Lack of browse leads to leaner moose and grazing damage
Due to climate change and a forest industry that has favored spruce, the distribution of browse in Sweden has decreased. The lack of browse is thought to be one of the reasons why both elk cows and calves are getting thinner and smaller. When there's not enough browse to eat, the elk turn to pine forests to feed. This has caused conflicts with forest owners who, to avoid grazing damage to their pine, have planted spruce instead. The remaining pine trees will then be even more vulnerable to grazing by elk.
Hunting affects elk population size
72–93% of all elk that die are shot during hunting season. Hunting is therefore very important for the elk numbers in Sweden. Other causes of death are traffic, predators and natural causes.
Forest management with more deciduous trees, shrubs, browse and herbs would result in a stronger elk population with less grazing damage to the trees. Plants, animals, forest owners and hunters would all be better off with more plant diversity in the forests.