Posted on 02/25/2015 7:00:30 PM PST by TurboZamboni
DULUTH, Minn. -- Minnesota wildlife researchers will keep trying to collar and study newborn moose calves in 2015 even though things haven't gone well during the first two years of the effort.
Last May and June, researchers put GPS collars on 25 calves just hours after they were born. But 19 of them either were abandoned by their mothers and had to be rescued, or their collars fell off or stopped working, leaving only six calves to be studied.
By August, those six had been eaten by predators, mostly wolves.
"It's frustrating. But we need to persevere," said Glenn DelGiudice, lead moose researcher for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Moose experts say more information is needed on how many calves are dying -- and why-- to accompany research on adult moose as northeastern Minnesota's moose population dwindles.
The results of an aerial survey in January showed lower overall moose numbers, with a drop of more than 60 percent since 2006. Researchers say there appear to be problems with both adult and calf moose. Disease, parasites, climate, habitat and predators are factors, although specific causes of the decline still aren't clear.
The disappointing 2014 calf study was even less successful than 2013: Forty-nine calves were collared and 15 either lost their collars or were abandoned. Many of the abandoned calves perished.
(Excerpt) Read more at twincities.com ...
On the bright side, fewer sisters will be bitten.
Morris the Moose, that’s me.
Even I know, “Don’t disturb baby animals!!!!”
That’s Mr Moose to you.
Interesting factoid, Bob Keeshan attended Fordham University and Hillsdale college.
Why are the moose calves dying?
Stupid people putting collars on them...........
There is a reason we exterminated wolves in the past.
Some people say you don’t have to be an idiot to work for the government but offer no proof.
The government has to kill the Moose calves to save them.
Those that they miss get eaten by the wolves that they re-introduced into areas where more knowledgeable people worked hard for 100 years to get rid of the wolf.
Really! Leave the frickin’ moose calves ALONE!
Sure keep collaring and killing moose young. Brilliant.
Whenever a government funded program screws up this badly there can only be one solution.
Give them more money!
We had to kill them to save them.
We have to print more money to stay viable!
Just another Obamacare launch.... this time for moose.
These folks are likely getting federal money and don’t want to let go of that. They could kill 1000 moose in Minnesota and still not stop. They’re addicted to federal money like crack whores. That’s kind of how these things play out.
What manner of fool would attempt to collar a Moose?
They bite you know;
A Moose once bit my sister...
There is a reason we exterminated wolves in the past.
Yep. Amazing they cannot figure that out.
Reminds me of the penguin tagging in Antarctica... the group of penguins with the highest mortality was the group that had been tagged. The flipper/wing tags negatively impacted the animal’s efficiency when hunting.
Momma thinks of baby collar like momma thinks of junior getting facial piercings and wearing dad’s tackle box-”I won’t be seen in public with you.”
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