About the Friends of the Elk
We are committed to promoting community education on coexisting with area wildlife in Western North Carolina.
About the Elk Reintroduction
A group of twenty-nine individuals formed a committee in September of 2019 to promote the health, safety, and continued thriving of the Western North Carolina elk herd. WNC Friends of the Elk, Inc. is a designated 501(c)(3) non-profit, charitable corporation.
This group of diversified individuals, couples, and families have developed close friendships through the years as we volunteered our time, efforts and money. We love seeing herds of free-roaming elk make their homes on GMSNP lands such as the Cataloochee Valley, where the original 52 elk were released.
The First 25 Elk
The first 25 were brought from “Land Between the Lakes” in Kentucky on January 31, 2001 and 27 arrived from Alberta, Canada in 2002. Some of the herd quickly wandered the few miles to the Qualla Boundary and to the surrounding areas of Haywood, Jackson and Swain Counties of North Carolina.
There is now a large herd in the Oconaluftee/Cherokee area making the herds a sum total of 250+. Visitors and locals experience unforgettable photo opportunities daily.
More than 25 Years
Even after 25 years, it makes our hearts happy to see the joy and wonder on visitor’s faces when they see a herd of elk wandering thru the fields of Cataloochee Valley or down the Oconaluftee River or watch the young elk frolicking as the elders graze or pose for photographs. We are holding monthly meetings and plan to continue our years of volunteering our time, efforts, and money to help our awesome elk! We plan to host future fund-raising events (small and large) to improve the elks’ lives and habitat in WNC. We look forward to seeing our families and friends enjoying and supporting us at these events.
Committee Picnic at Oconaluftee Island Park, 8.18.2025
Email Us
info@wncfriendsoftheelk.org
or you can use the contact form.