Irish Elk

The intriguing Irish elk

The Irish elk is an extinct mammal that is part of the red deer family .

Description

Their coat was a wood brown and it’s antlies were approximately 3.6 meters  long. They  weighed about 540 -600 kilograms it is 2.10 meters tall.

Habitat

The Irish elk got introduced from Ireland to Northern Asia then to Africa and to china .

They usually lived in nutrient rich shrubby grass and open woodlands or among rivers and streams .

Diet

The lrish elk is herberivous; in winter they eat bark and twigs off trees.

In summer they eat grass and herbs and rip leaves off trees or they eat them off the ground under the tree as well.

Extinction

It is believed that they died out around 2,000 years after the ice age, they know this because they analysed some of its bones.  However  most of them died in the ice age because the plants died and they couldn't get any food and water.

We think it is sad they all died out because we would have liked to have shot one for its impressive antlers however we wouldn't over hunt them and kill them all.