Twelve Elk from the Port Hardy area have been moved to Henderson Lake to restore populations there.
According to Ha-Shilth-Sa Newspaper, there are no Elk in the Uchucklesaht territory, but an overabundance in the North Island area, and a transfer protocol agreement was signed to bring a herd made up of young males and pregnant females.
The transfer happened quietly in February, and there will be no harvesting until the herd reaches sustainable numbers.
Chief Councillor Charlie Cootes said the herd is being monitored by Uchucklesaht members, provincial wildlife officers and various guide outfitters through game cameras set up in the area and are not only being monitored for poaching but also for predation by wolves and other wildlife.
This is the second translocation of elk from the northeast end of the island into Nuu-chah-nulth territories in the past year. In 2018 a small herd of elk were translocated from the same area to Huu-ay-aht treaty settlement land near Bamfield.
