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mahatmakanejeeves

(56,874 posts)
Thu Jun 4, 2015, 10:42 AM Jun 2015

Baby moose killed after man finds it in woods

Last edited Thu Jun 4, 2015, 03:16 PM - Edit history (1)

Hat tip, Washington Post: A Montana man saved a baby moose. But then his act of kindness blew up, big time.

The Washington Post notes at least one comment to the KXLH website pointing out the near impossibility of humans' keeping a baby moose alive and thriving:

But as another commenter pointed out, FWP officials would have had to bring moose milk, or colostrum, to the calf shortly after finding it in order for the creature to have had a fighting chance.

“Without colostrum from its mother, it will get sick and die,” wrote Robert Lebahn. “Period. That’s how cloven-hoofed four legged critters work. It’s just reality. Sheep, goats, mountain sheep, deer, elk, moose… llama, camel, giraffe… Cloven hoofed critters must have colostrum within a short time after birth or their chances of survival plummet with every passing hour. … Farmers harvest colostrum from sheep, goats, cows etc so they can save a lamb, kid, or calf whose mother dies or can’t produce milk. They usually freeze it and it doesn’t keep all that long because of the high fat content. … Where would FWP get moose colostrum? How would they keep a supply? …. They *did* help that poor little critter by putting it out of its misery. When responsible for animals of any sort, sometimes the right, good, and humane thing to do can be ending their misery. It’s always sad when that’s the case… but none the less, right.”

Baby moose killed after man finds it in woods

By Michael Wright Chronicle Staff Writer
May 29, 2015



Photo Courtesy of Josh Hohm
A moose calf walks near the West Boulder Campground where it was found. Its mother and sibling were dead nearby, and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks later killed the calf.

Josh Hohm of Bozeman went to the West Boulder Campground on Monday, planning to camp for the night, when a newborn moose calf walked right up to him.

Initially, Hohm was afraid the mother was just around the corner ready to charge. But the calf’s mother and twin, both found nearby, died during childbirth.
....

After reporting it to local authorities, Hohm thought the animal would be cared for, but a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks official later killed the calf. The U.S. Forest Service then used explosives to get rid of the carcasses of all three moose, spreading the proteins that might attract predators like grizzly bears to the campground.
....

... FWP spokeswoman Andrea Jones said the agency had no other option. ... “We don’t move or rehabilitate moose,” Jones said. ... FWP occasionally takes in bears or raptors to rehabilitate them, but not moose, elk or deer. Jones said the risk of disease transmission is too great for them to do that. ... Because of that, they couldn’t take the calf in. Leaving it in the wild wasn’t an option either, Jones said, because it would have had no way to get food.
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Baby moose killed after man finds it in woods (Original Post) mahatmakanejeeves Jun 2015 OP
Jesus, I would hate to have that job packman Jun 2015 #1
Let's blow them up! Javaman Jun 2015 #2
Raising a moose calf to adulthood is very difficult and not always successful. Brickbat Jun 2015 #3

Brickbat

(19,339 posts)
3. Raising a moose calf to adulthood is very difficult and not always successful.
Thu Jun 4, 2015, 01:11 PM
Jun 2015

Taking care of an adult moose in captivity often results in a hard standard of living for the moose. Nature is cruel.

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