Answer:
The answer to this phenomenon is that elk predators increased in number, or their food source decreased, it is for these two reasons that elk could have a drop in population numbers.
Step-by-step explanation:
Many times by altering the balance of the environment in which they live due to external factors such as human intervention, moose predators can increase in number, thus generating these moose are at greater risk since not only the predators will need to feed more moose but are more when hunting.
On the other hand, if this does not happen, the other option is that the food source of these moose decreases in number or becomes extinct or is difficult to access, thus causing them to starve.