The Best-Laid Plans Of Moose And Men Often Go Awry

Conservation officers were thwarted in their attempt to airlift a moose from a residential area last Thursday when the cargo net carrying the animal came loose from their helicopter, dropping the tranquilized moose from a height of about 15 feet.

Officers of Canada's Department of Natural Resources said they were relocating a mainland moose that wandered into a residential area near Pictou, Nova Scotia, according to The Ottawa Citizen.

The October 2 airlift transporting the moose was initiated to protect residents of the area, and also to move the animal to an area more suitable for its habitation.

The moose had been tranquilized by the officers before being loaded into a cargo net for the short flight to its new home. While enroute to nearby Shubenacadie, the cargo net came loose, allowing the animal to freefall - from a height of about 15 feet.

The moose died shortly after the fall. The DNR, having not yet establishing the exact cause of death, speculated that the animal may have been ill, or possibly perished from a number of causes, including stress, the tranquilizer and the fall.

In an official statement, Natural Resources Minister David Morse said, "An equipment malfunction may have been a factor in the moose's death and, if so, we want to ensure that it won't happen again." An investigation examining the failed airlift and the animal's subsequent death is underway.

The mainland moose is considered an endangered species, as its numbers are threatened due to disease and parasites.

FMI: www.gov.ns.ca/natr