Elk enthusiasts no longer have to leave their homes to watch the animals, thanks to the new live elk stream emanating from Gaylord's recently renovated Elk View Park.
The 24-7 livestream features the elk living inside the park, with the camera sitting on top of the viewing platform to give watchers a larger scope of the landscape.
Gaylord Area Convention & Tourism Bureau's Christy Walcott says the elk are important to the area, and being able to restart the stream in the new location has garnered overwhelmingly positive feedback so far. For years, the Otsego Commission on Aging used to operate an elk livestream camera in a different part of the park.
"It's kind of relaxing to see the animals moving around and just doing what elk naturally do," Walcott said. "It's very unique. It's something people really enjoy, and the elk are well taken care of."
Over the summer, the park went through major renovations, including moving the elk to a different location and constructing the aforementioned fully accessible platform. There is also a pavilion and playground equipment on location for gatherings and comfort.
"Elk View Park has actually been in Gaylord since the late 1980s, early 1990s. So it's been a part of our community for a long time," Walcott explained. "The recent expansions that the city made have made it more of an attraction, more of a place that a family can go and spend time."
Walcott says that the park is a sort of sanctuary for the elk, who are taken care of by the city. New elk aren't introduced to the herd, and they will never be released from captivity. To ensure the herds health and avoid diseases like chronic wasting disease, any deaths are sent to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for testing.
"If you want to guarantee that you're going to get a look at the elk and that you're going to get a close up view of them, the city Elk Park is definitely where you want to be," Walcott said.
The elk livestream is available for viewing on the City of Gaylord's website.
