The Loop Newspaper - Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide

In Bear Valley Springs and Stallion Springs, deer and elk stroll casually around homes, streets, golf courses and lakes without fear. This trio of American Elk attracted onlookers on July 4 at North Lower Valley Road. The two communities share borders with Tejon Ranch, where an abundance of wild animals live freely on 270,000 acres of natural habitat. According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Tejon-area elk population is descended from a group of 300 Rocky Mountain Elk (now called American Elk) that were imported from Yellowstone National Park in the mid-1960s. The elk lose those majestic antlers around March every year when their testosterone level drops. The antlers are not affixed to the skull the way horns are. The fallen antlers provide nutrients for other critters. Visitors can try elk-spotting in non-gated Stallion Springs.