Native Hooved Animal Enclosure

This 110-acre fenced enclosure is home to bison and elk. Bring your family to stare a buffalo in the eye or enjoy watching a family of elk playing in a pasture. The United States Department of Agriculture/ Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) IS NO LONGER PERMITTING PUBLIC FEEDING.

The Animal Enclosure is located at 6010 East Park Road, near Lake Jacomo in Fleming Park. Get directions

Elk Fun Facts

Elk are one of the largest mammals in North America, and the second-largest species of deer in the world - only their cousin, the moose, is larger.

Elk are herbivores that feed on grasses, plants, leaves and bark.

Male elk are called bulls, females are cows, and their offspring are calves.

Only bulls grow antlers. Antlers begin growing in the spring and are shed each winter. Antlers are made of bone that can grow up to one inch per day.

Bulls are famous for their loud calls, known as bugling (download an mp3 file of an elk bellow (MP3)) which can be heard for miles. Cows are often attracted to bulls that bugle more frequently and have the loudest calls.

During the fall, elk grow a thick winter coat to stay warm during cold months. This heavy coat is shed by summer.

Calves are born with white spots that help camouflage them. These spots usually fade by the end of summer.

Elk can live 20 years or more in captivity, while averaging just 10 to 13 years in the wild.