The Elk (Cervus canadensis), also known as the wapiti is a large deer species native to North America and Eastern Asia, it is the largest of the six extant deer species constituting the genus Cervus and the second largest deer species alive today, with only the Moose (Alces alces) being larger, the closest living relative of the elk is the Hangul (Cervus hanglu) that resides in Central Asia, there are fifteen known subspecies of elk: the Tibetan Elk (Cervus canadensis wallichii), the Kansu Elk (Cervus canadensis kansuensis), the Sichuan Elk (Cervus canadensis macneilli), the Mongolian Elk (Cervus canadensis mongoliensis), the Alashan Elk (Cervus canadensis alashanicus), the Tian Shan Elk (Cervus canadensis songaricus), the Manchurian Elk (Cervus canadensis xanthopygus), the †Korean Elk (Cervus canadensis coreanus), the Siberian Elk (Cervus canadensis sibiricus), the Roosevelt Elk (Cervus canadensis roosevelti), the Rocky Mountain Elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni), the Tule Elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes), the †Merriam's Elk (Cervus canadensis merriami), the Manitoba Elk (Cervus canadensis manitobensis), and the †Algonquin Elk (Cervus canadensis canadensis).