The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is planning to move 36 elk from U.S. Forest Service's Land Between the Lakes (LBL) in Kentucky to the Royal Blue Wildlife Management Area in Campbell County Tennessee on Saturday, March 8, 2008.

At approximately 10:00 a.m. on Saturday morning, the elk will be released on Royal Blue, which is part of Tennessee's 670,000 acre Elk Restoration Zone. The release location will be on Massengale Mountain where the first elk were released in 2000.

Plans are to load 36 elk on four trailers on Friday and haul them to the release site, where they will be held overnight and released the next morning.

This release is tentative pending results of disease testing of the animals located in the Elk/Bison Prairie at LBL. All the elk located in the Prairie have received a clean bill of health and the results of bison testing should be received by March 1.

The public is invited to come and experience this important event. Viewers should wear footwear appropriate for rough terrain and be prepared to walk some distance.

One of the objectives of LBL elk herd was to provide surplus animals for elk restoration projects. This will be the second time that elk have been transported from LBL to Tennessee.

Of the 36 elk scheduled for release, there are 19 adult bulls, 4 male calves, 9 adult cows, and 4 female calves. All of the elk, except for 5 of the smaller calves, have been fitted with radio collars, so that researchers can follow their progress after release.

Prior to this fifth release, there have been 167 elk released over a four-year period, from 2000-2003, in the restoration zone. Tennessee’s elk herd currently stands at an estimated 200-250 animals.

The project is a joint effort between U.S. Forest Service Land Between the Lakes, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Campbell Outdoor Recreation Association (CORA), the UT Veterinary School, USDA, Animal Plant Health Inspection School (APHIS), LBL Bugle Corp, LBL Association, and TWRA staff and volunteers.

Mr. Gary Cox of Sundowner of Tennessee in Sweetwater contributed to this release by loaning two of the four trailers which will be used to transport the elk. The other two trailers are property of the U.S. Forest Service and TWRA.

The most up to date information about the elk release and a map to the release site will be posted beginning on Monday at www.tnwildlife.org.