The elk were in dire straits, they once roamed across the entire San Joaquin Valley but were exterminated by settlers who wanted to set up cattle farms. The elk were hunted almost to extinction and left to rot, with sometimes only their tongues pulled from their mouths to be sent on to San Francisco as gourmet dinners. By the time most people thought the Tule Elk were extinct, rancher Henry Miller discovered just three animals on his property - a bull and two cows. He told his men to capture them (no easy task) and decided to raise a herd. For this, he needed money - and he thought of founding the Elks Clubs as a means of revenue. The various lodges agreed to contribute something to help out the Tule Elk which miraculously survived and today are found on a few ranges in California - although still a rare animal to spot.

Thus the Tule Elk were saved at the Eleventh Hour of their existence.

Not sure if the story is true but it has a nice environmentalist ring to it.