Forest preserve enacts changes after deaths of 3 Busse Woods elk

The Forest Preserves of Cook County plans this fall to replace three elk found dead in Busse Woods last year — possibly as a result of dehydration — while officials say they've taken steps to make sure it doesn't happen again.

The three male elk were found dead in September 2017 within the 17-acre enclosed pasture on the northwest corner of Arlington Heights and Higgins roads near Elk Grove Village.

Forest preserve workers reported in logs that they didn't spot any of the six elk within the pen for three weeks. After the animals were found dead, necropsies performed by the University of Illinois and toxicology tests by Michigan State University yielded inconclusive results, according to Chip O'Leary, the forest preserves' deputy director of resource management.

Cook County Commissioner Tim Schneider, whose 15th district includes the Elk Grove area, said signs point to the deaths occurring due to a lack of water. He learned about the deaths only a few weeks ago from forest preserve staff.

“Basically the only thing employees had to do every day was count to six and provide buckets of water for the trough,” Schneider said. “And when I found out that the individuals involved had not for over three weeks done a count of the elk, I found that incomprehensible.”

Schneider believes the discipline handed out to the employees responsible for checking on the elk — an eight-day suspension for one and a written reprimand for another — was “quite unsubstantial.”

One of the employees is no longer working with the elk, O'Leary said.

The deaths also led to a tightening of policies and procedures aimed at improving the care of the two male and one female elk who remain at the preserve. That includes making sure the water tank is completely filled every day, O'Leary said.

Staff must also be sure to take a daily head count and visually inspect the elk, checking for any signs of illness. Any problems should be referred to an on-call wildlife biologist, O'Leary added.

Because the elk can sometimes be hard to spot due to high grasses in the summer, the forest preserve district is mowing more often, he said. The district also redesigned daily reporting log forms and retrained all employees and their supervisors.

The elk herd is one of the forest preserves' most popular attractions, having called Busse Woods home since the first 10 elk were delivered by train from Yellowstone National Park in 1925.

An elk can live about 20 years in good health, O'Leary said.

The new elk — likely one male and two females — could be delivered as early as September or October from Texas.

“They are a landmark for the area,” Schneider said. “We just need to ensure their safety is of the utmost importance. They are in our care and must be protected.

“They've been a symbol for the community for so long.”