Orphaned Moose Killed: Montana Wildlife Officials Face Criticism For Killing Moose Calf
An orphaned moose was killed by Montana wildlife officials, and they are now facing serious criticism for their actions. According to eCanada Now, the moose calf was found roaming near a campground. The man who found the baby called authorities, hoping that the moose would be brought somewhere safe.
What the man didn’t realize was that the phone call he made would lead to the calf’s death just a short time later.
“The orphaned young of deer, elk and moose are killed because there is a high chance they could carry diseases that are dangerous to humans.”
The mother of the baby was found dead nearby along with another calf, both believed to have died during childbirth. When authorities arrived on the scene, the man thought that the calf would be relocated given the death of his family. Instead, the baby was killed. All of the carcases were blown up, their bodies scattered, to keep grizzly bears away from the area.
Bushwalker stumbles across orphaned baby moose, snaps a selfie and calls the ranger.. who detonates it. http://t.co/hJAy16wT3q
— Lucy Rickard (@lucyrickard) June 5, 2015
MT FWP explains why they euthanized this baby moose: http://t.co/8U9MxyJv5s pic.twitter.com/BAFqChq3Yq
— KRTV Great Falls MT (@KRTV) May 31, 2015
The orphaned moose killed wasn’t the first that was put down, but many are still shocked to learn that this is considered “standard protocol.” Perhaps no one was as shocked than the man who actually phoned in the report. According to the Casper Star-Tribune, he never thought that the moose would be euthanized, and he grew attached to the “little guy” in the short time he had spent with him. He took some selfies with the moose, and even a video of the calf crying before “help” arrived.
“It’s just unbelievable to me that that’s how things are handled. It just sounds incredibly wrong,” Josh Hohm said.
In other animal news this week, a rare white-faced deer was born and abandoned by its mother. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the 2-week-old deer named “Dragon” is being cared for by handlers at Deer Tracks Junction in Cedar Springs, Michigan.
The deer’s rare looks — including its pink nose — made it “a detriment in the wild” because of its inability to hide from predators. It is believed that this is why its mother abandoned it. Thankfully, however, it sounds like the deer will be well cared for.
“Normally they have a black nose. It’s actually a detriment in the wild because if they don’t have shade, their nose is very sensitive to the sun and can get sun burn,” said the owner of Deer Tracks Junction, Hillary Powell.
[Photo by Michael Smith/Getty Images]
