Moose rehabilitation has proven to be a
difficult task and with the wide reaching decline in the numbers of wild
moose has reached a new urgency to provide a safe route back to the
wild for orphaned calves. Despite their size moose are highly
specialized in their wild environment and subsequently are very delicate
when receiving human care.
NLWS has been rehabbing moose since 1991 and we are happy to report that moose rehab is possible and very successful with the correct feeding regimes and good housing. Our oldest post release monitored female turned 12 in 2016 and has once again a healthy calf by her side. We have been able to prove with the moose that integration in the wild population is possible, that they survive and reproduce successfully and that they do not became nuisance animals.
NLWS has been rehabbing moose since 1991 and we are happy to report that moose rehab is possible and very successful with the correct feeding regimes and good housing. Our oldest post release monitored female turned 12 in 2016 and has once again a healthy calf by her side. We have been able to prove with the moose that integration in the wild population is possible, that they survive and reproduce successfully and that they do not became nuisance animals.
Is it safe to release human raised moose?
We
admitted 71 moose calves and released 59 (83%) including calves that
where admitted with leg fractures. Daisy our first leg fractures is a
2003 calf and just returned with a healthy calf in the winter of
2015/16. We have many other females with similar records. None of our
released moose have ever attacked a human, though they certainly live in
our rural community. Most people are just happy to report their numbers
back to us for record keeping purposes.
Are they protected after release?
Rehabbed
animals have no special protection once they have been released. We
have records of our moose being hunted by humans and animals and that is
part of returning back to a life in the wild.
However
on occasion we have adult moose returning to the shelter after being
injured or in bad winter conditions. We also have cows returning to give
birth near the shelter enclosures, feeling safe and protected in our
presence. Such occasions give us a unique opportunity to record details
in our post release monitoring efforts.
Research Projects
For
many years we have collaborated with Dr. Roy Rea from UNBC in Prince
George. Dr. Rea has completed and published several moose research
projects, which included the moose raised by NLWS.
Such
studies are very important as they serve the moose species and extend
our work beyond individual welfare. Rehabilitation is unfortunately not a
well-used study opportunity, but we are working hard to make
connections so that our work is benefiting the individual as well as the
species.