Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Overlooked Alaska History: Teddy Roosevelt Poses With Trophy Mammoth






































It's all but forgotten now, but a small population of Wooly Mammoths persisted past the Ice-Age on the Southern slopes of the Brooks Range. Sadly they were viewed as a "pest species" because they competed with moose for browse and were hunted to extinction, with the blessing of federal, and later, state game managers. (The last one was shot with a bow by Ted Nugent in 1978) Naturally as times changed, and people felt guilty about losing this most charismatic of megafauna, pictures such as this one were suppressed. But this photo escaped, proof of our tragic short-sightedness. Knowing what we do today, we are certain that TR himself would agree.

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