Do not remove moose from wild, government and hunting group warn
Leave the moose alone and do not remove them from their natural environment, that's the warning coming from the provincial government following the euthanization of a moose this week.
"Conservation officers frequently deal with moose calves, and occasionally the young of other species, being removed from the woods by well-meaning people," said a release from the Department of Fisheries and Land Resources.
"While most individuals have good intentions, their desire to help is usually misplaced."
The warning comes on the heels of a woman from Glenwood voicing her displeasure at the SPCA for putting down a moose she believed she rescued the day before.
Brandi Calder came across a young calf struggling to cross a brook. After taking the animal out of the water, she fed it goat's milk with a bottle and brought it to the SPCA the next morning.
Salmonier Nature Park could not take the moose, a member of the SPCA said, and there were no other options.
Dehydrated, sick and removed from its mother, the young moose was put down.
Even if the moose could have been returned to the wild, its fate could have been sealed.
"Releasing a calf from captivity back to the wild is usually inappropriate because the animal's ability to survive is compromised as human interference can make the animal quite tame," the government's public advisory reads.
The advisory also lists public safety issues — such as a cow moose returning to her baby and sensing a threat from humans.
"A cow moose, sensing that her calf is threatened, may attack and cause considerable injury, and such instances have occurred in the past."
Hunters and Anglers rep also issues warning
Dwight Blackwood, a member of the Newfoundland Federation of Hunters and Anglers, believes peoples' hearts are in the right place when they try to rescue wild animals, but their actions are still wrong.
"You think wholeheartedly and in your mind that it's a very good deed," he said, "but it does have dire consequences."
If the moose can be returned to its mother, there is a chance the cow will reject its calf for having interaction with human beings, he said.
"In this situation, there was no other alternative for the SPCA or anybody else," he said. "And look what happened. It had to be euthanized."
