Should We Be Worried About North American Moose?
Predators and parasites have taken their toll on the iconic animal, but in many areas they are thriving.
RIDING MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, MANITOBA —I’m on an early morning tour bus with Vince Crichton, retired wildlife biologist and renowned moose expert. In between telling moose stories and pointing out other wildlife, like a red-tailed hawk, Crichton pauses to say, “Fresh tracks.”
Soon afterward two moose, as fleet as they are massive, dart through the trees, away from our vehicle. This brief glimpse will be our only one today. For an animal that can grow as large as 1,800 pounds, it’s amazing how well they can avoid being seen.
Still, it’s good to know they’re there.
When Minnesota’s moose population plummeted from 8,160 in 2005 to 2,760 in 2013 —and other areas reported declines—it set off alarms in the media that
