Elk
Herd in the Wichita Mountains
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enlarge
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Artist: Barbara
Vaupel |
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Sponsor: Rep. Don McCorkle |
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Dedication: March 5, 2003
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Size: 8' x 5' |
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Type: Oil on Canvas |
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Location: South staircase, 5th floor, House wing |
Elk graze peacefully on a stretch
of grassland bordered by the rising granite mountains of
Southwest Oklahoma.
Elk originally indigenous to
the Wichita Mountains area of Oklahoma were exterminated
by the late 1800's. When the land which became the Wichita
Mountain Wildlife Refuge was set aside, no native elk remained.
In 1908, one bull elk of unknown
origin was donated to the preserve by the city of Wichita,
Kansas. In 1911 and 1912, additional elk were received
from the National Elk Refuge herd.
Due to the success of these
introductions, no further animals were brought into the
herd and the elk now inhabiting the refuge and surrounding
lands are descended from these original animals.
Images
are copyright of The Oklahoma State Senate Historical Preservation
Fund, Inc. and the artist. Please contact Pam Hodges
at 524-0126 or hodges@oksenate.gov for
further copyright information. |
