Lions and tigers and wolverines, oh my. Those three species are among Michigan’s most recognizable professional and college team mascots, but none of them have a verified population in the state—unlike elk.

Otsego County, in the northern Lower Peninsula, features its own native population since it lies in the epicenter of Michigan’s elk range. That, in part, is why county officials just passed a resolution adopting elk as its official wildlife mascot.

“Elk are not only a unique natural resource, they are also a significant factor for tourism in our area,” said Paul Beachnau, Gaylord Area Convention & Tourism Bureau executive director and a driving force behind the resolution, told 9&10 News. “We felt an official declaration would help promote our entire community and bring the success story of Michigan’s elk population to the forefront.”

After elk disappeared from their historic Michigan range by about 1875, hunters and conservationists put their heads together to do something about it. The state transported seven elk from Western states and released them near Wolverine, a small community in the northeastern Lower Peninsula.

According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), elk numbers increased to 400 by 1939 and 1,000 by 1958. Unfortunately, after successful regulated hunts in 1964 and 1965, poaching took a heavy toll on the elk population.

A decade later in 1975, with the herd hovering about 200, the DNR developed and instituted a new elk management plan with a goal of 500 to 600 elk.

In 1984, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation officially formed 1,600 miles away. Just six years later in 1990, it started to carry out on-the-ground conservation work to help Michigan’s elk and other wildlife. In 2012, the DNR revised its elk management plan by resetting its elk population goal to 500 to 900 animals. When Michigan celebrated the 100th anniversary of its elk restoration in 2018, the state elk population numbered about 1,100. Today, there are about 1,200.

The Gaylord Tourism Bureau says 60 percent of visitors come to the area to see elk.

“Between the free-roaming herd in the Pigeon River Forest and the fantastic additions made to the City Elk Park, visitors and residents can view elk as an outdoor adventure or with ease,” Beachnau told 9&10 News.

(Photo credit: Michigan Department of Natural Resources)