It’s officially baby elk season at Lone Elk Park near St. Louis, and several new calves have already joined the herd. 

Elk were once native to the Show-Me State before vanishing in the late 1800s. They were reintroduced into the wild between 2011 and 2013 and can be seen in Carter, Shannon and Reynolds counties. 

The fenced-in park established its original herd in 1948 following World War II, decades before elk were reintroduced into the wild. The land was used to test and store ammunition during the war.

Lone Elk Park is open daily from 8 a.m. until sunset, and admission is free for anyone looking to catch a glimpse of the newborns.