A federal judge has halted removal of a controversial fence derided as the “ungulate Berlin Wall” in Northern California’s Point Reyes National Seashore.
Tule elk have been contained by an 8-foot-high enclosure fence that runs 2.2 miles. Hundreds of the elk have died during severe droughts in recent years. Animal rights advocates called their enclosure inhumane and had called the plan to remove it a victory.
The California Cattlemen’s Association sued to stop the removal of the fence. Ranchers say elk can pose a threat to their cattle because they compete for food and water.
Tule elk are named after a plant on which they feed, and Point Reyes is the only national park unit where the elk can be found. The animals are endemic (only found in California) and were brought to the brink of extinction by hunting in the 1800s. The National Park Service reintroduced tule elk to the area in 1978. They once roamed Point Reyes freely.
