Sharpe's Blog: Thunder, Dimly Heard

Sharpe

2/21/2017

Thunder, Dimly Heard:

For this week, we are required to read the sixth chapter of "Mountains of the Heart" by Scott Weidensaul. The early pages of the chapter deals with a man named Jim Jacobs in 1867 hunting Elk in the Appalachian mountains. The man basically tracts the Elk and eventually killing the Elk, either for food or for a trophy. Ultimately, by doing so, "he killed the last native Elk in the Appalachians" (pg. 138). This story about Jim Jacobs, in my believe should be later in the chapter, well at least a couple of pages. For me, I like to read historical events in a chronological order.

Brooklyn Museum - American Elk - John J. Audubon.jpg

Eastern Elk (Cervus canadensis canadensis)

(Author: John J. Audubon)

Photo Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brooklyn_Museum_-_American_Elk_-_John_J._Audubon.jpg

Then the author described of people who brought in new Elk to the Appalachians. He says "the descendants of more than one hundred Rocky Mountain Elk trucked in from Yellowstone between 1913 and 1926 and released in the Appalachian Plateau of northern Pennsylvania" (pg. 139). Not surprising that the individuals of Elk from Yellowstone died off within years. I mean the difference between the terrain and environment of the Yellowstone and the Appalachian mountains are completely different. The individuals that were brought into another location and environment, it would have a difficult time finding food and other needs to survive.

Location of Yellowstone National Park

(Author: Ryan Holliday)

Photo Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yellowstone-area-map.png

Another depressing thing that I read in the chapter was how the human race is just to selfish, and is willing to kill of species to protecting ones interests. The author states that the "last wolf in the Pennsylvania Appalachians was probably shot in 1892 in Clearfield County" (pg. 142). Even in the early years of European colonization of North America, Wolfs were basically killed off because people believed that wolfs would simply harm either them, or their life stocks. Overall, it is very depressing to see how people are so careless and are willing to wipe an entire species off of the face of the planet.