Associated Press - November 1, 2009 1:14 PM ET
HESPERUS, Colo. (AP) - An elk reserve on state-owned property in southwest Colorado is getting critics who say the Elk Research Institute is more concerned with attracting wealthy hunters than saving elk from chronic wasting disease.
The research center on about 1,500 acres in Hesperus in La Plata County is a nonprofit with a mission of breeding elk resistant to chronic wasting disease. The breeding research center also sells hunting trips. Hunters can pay thousands to kill mature bulls, many with racks grown enormous because of nutritional supplements.
The land belongs to Colorado State University. Some scientists and hunting groups say the institute shouldn't be considered a research project. The institute says its work is vital and that its elk could one day be used to revive wild populations.
Information from: Durango Herald, http://www.durangoherald.com
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