Elk spotted in eastern Iowa is a rare sight

Iowa hasn’t had a breeding elk population in over 100 years but recent sightings raise questions about their population

Despite once being native to Iowa, the state’s Department of Natural Resources says there hasn’t been a breeding population in over 100 years. A recent sighting of an elk (Cervus canadensis) wandering through a developed area makes state biologists question where they could be coming from.

“Whether it originated from a wild population or whether it escaped a captive elk farm is anyone’s best guess,” said Jace Elliot, state deer biologist at the Iowa DNR. “I will say that the behavior that this elk is exhibiting is not necessarily consistent with a wild elk due to the fact that it’s hanging around developed areas.”

According to the Iowa DNR, the state still receives periodic reports of elk in various locations.  

Read more from CBS 2 Iowa.

Header Image: Elk are occasionally spotted in parts of Iowa despite the state not having a breeding population in over a century. NPS/Jim Peaco