Elk, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

At the Oconaluftee Visitor Center on the North Carolina side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, there were no Elk to be seen which was the norm. As I made my way back through the park, I happened upon this lone Elk munching on the grasses in a field right off the road about two miles from the visitor center.

She is a sow and I don't think she gave birth to a calf this Spring as there was no evidence of one with her. I loved that she also did 'not' have a radio collar on which made for nicer images. As the group of cars that stopped to watch her graze began to grow, the Elk would look up every now and then. This was one of the looks she gave me as I sat across from her in the car at a good distance. It was a priceless look. When it started to rain, she looked up and all around her, and then abruptly turned and hightailed in the opposite direction and crossed the road heading for the treeline next to the river. It made one wonder what was going through her head at the time. If you look closely, you can see a few rain drops in the image. At least she posed for a few pics for me. ENJOY!