Cervus Canadensis Nannodes

The tule elk is a subspecies of elk found only in the grasslands and marshlands of California. It is the smallest subspecies of all American elks, with the average weight of adult males only 450 - 550 pounds. The females average 375 - 425 pounds. The calves are similar to deer fawns, with brown coat and white spots. When the Europeans first arrived, half a million tule elk roamed these regions. But by 1895, habitat loss and hunting had reduced the elk population to only 28. Conservation measures were taken to protect the species in the 1970s. Today the wild population exceeds 4,000. wiki

Over 440 of the 4000 live on Tomales Point where it was in the seventies and sunny last weekend. We also got a good long look at a bobcat stalking a hole in the ground, and so many raptors that if we stopped to identify them all we would still be there.