The tule elk (Cervus elaphus nannodes), once numbering 500,000 individuals in California. began to decline following the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in 1848 and the accompanying influx of people. Causes for the decline included conversion of habitat to agricultural land, conversion of perennial grasslands to annual grasslands, market hunting, and competition with domestic livestock. By 1940, total population size had been reduced to fewer than 500 elk in three herds. However, a successful management program initiated in 1971 has resulted in the relocation of over 750 elk and a population size in excess of 1,900 animals in eighteen herds. Current concerns include the need to balance the desires of private landowners, hunters, and animal preservationists.
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