Don't approach moose calves, no matter how cute
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Travis Russell
This Mud Bay moose calf was repeatedly approached by people trying to pet and feed it, despite warnings from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Eventually the calf was relocated with the hope that it will be able to reunite with its mother.
Every spring, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game encounters the same problem: people approaching moose calves that appear to be abandoned. The problem is that, frequently, these moose calves haven't been abandoned, and when humans approach them, it leads to bad outcomes.
Approaching calves presents a hazard for the animal, Koch said. If the mother returns and finds a crowd of people around the calf, she is likely to abandon it.
Last week, Fish and Game wildlife biologist Carl Koch said he received multiple phone calls in a single day about two different orphaned calves-one in Mud Bay and the other near Lutak.
"Unfortunately, with the Mud Bay one, people would just not leave it alone," Koch said. "People kept going up to it. Several people pet it." Someone attempted to feed the calf carrots, even though newborn calves are too young to eat them. Koch said he heard others discussed putting a blanket over the calf. He's not sure whether the discussion turned into action.
Eventually, Fish and Game stepped in and moved the calf to "an undisclosed location," Koch said. The hope is that the cow will be able to relocate the calf by calling to it or through smell, but he said the outcome is uncertain.
"Whatever happens, happens at this point," Koch said. The chance of a positive outcome would have been higher if people had left the calf alone at its original location.
Newborn moose calves don't have the strength to follow their mothers around, so cows will stash them at a location and return later in the day, Koch said. "People run into them and think they're orphaned and want to do something to help because they think they're cute."
Although moose calves are undeniably cute, approaching them is risky.
"People get kicked every year by moose calves," Koch said. Those who approach also run the risk of being attacked by the moose cow, which could be foraging nearby.
Cows usually return to their calves within 48 hours, Koch said. This is what he believes happened with the Lutak calf. He advised those who called him to leave the calf alone, and eventually the calls stopped. Koch said he assumes this means the calf was reunited with its mother.
Koch urges those who encounter moose calves that appear orphaned to call Fish and Game if they're concerned. With the exception of situations where the cow has been hit by a car, the outcome is usually worse when people get involved.
"In most cases, it doesn't need help at all, and in many cases, you're loving it to death by trying to rescue it," Koch said.
Harassing wildlife and negligent feeding are both finable offenses under Alaska law.
In another wildlife-related PSA, Koch said as bear season approaches, residents are reminded to secure their garbage and anything else that might attract the animals. In 2019, the Haines Police department received a record-setting number of calls related to bear activity.
