Saskatchewan Environment is developing a strategy to deal with the increasing number of moose in the province’s south.
The number of vehicle collisions with the large animals is increasing, as are human encounters with moose in urban areas.
In fact, this past Saturday, conservation officers were forced to tranquilize and relocate two adolescent bull moose found eating vegegation in a green space in Saskatoon.
Wildlife biologist Rob Tether says complaints from landowners and the public are also on the rise:
“We know that we have to manage moose down in the farmland differently than we do moose up in the boreal forest. And we have to look at what is the land use and what type of habitat availability is there in the various wildlife management zones. And then we have to consider some of the landowner issues and public safety around larger cities and some of the provincial highways.”
At this point, the strategy is an internal document — as officials work to compile information on how the large animals can co-exist in agricultural, and even urban, environments.
Tether says officials hope to compile more information on moose behaviour:
“What we’re hoping to do is, in conjunction with the University of Saskatchewan, do some research to try and understand better the movements of moose — to ensure everything from safety to the public right through to finding areas where there is suitable habitat.”
However, Tether says a southern migration of predators following the moose will likely not happen:
“We don’t expect any changes in regards to large predators — bears and wolves. The density of the moose just isn’t high enough that we expect any movement of predators.”
Tether says moose were common in much of southern Saskatchewan in the 1600s and 1700s, and this migration appears to be permanent.