Wyoming Concerned About Wandering Elk

Cheyenne, Wy – Wyoming wildlife officials are upset about the escape of more than 100 domesticated elk from a hunting reserve in Idaho just 10 miles from Yellowstone. The escaped elk are red deer elk, which is a different subspecies from the Rocky Mountain elk in the wild. Wyoming Game and Fish Department's director Terry Cleveland says he has two major concerns: first, the fugitive elk may have diseases such as tuberculosis or chronic wasting disease that could be spread to the wild herds. Second, they could breed with wild elk and create a hybrid animal.