Silhouette of Rocky Mountain Elks (Cervus canadensis nelsoni) standing with rippled water in background in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA - Foto stock

The Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni) is a subspecies of elk found in the Rocky Mountains and adjacent ranges of Western North America. The winter ranges are most common in open forests and floodplain marshes in the lower elevations. In the summer it migrates to the subalpine forests and alpine basins. The total wild population is about one million individuals.