It seems some people in Alaska have forgotten that wild animals don’t make the best pets.
Recently in Willow, Alaska a calf moose was put in a backyard dog run with a collar around its neck. Another calf was taken into a home in the Wasilla area. “They just had it in the living room, as if it was a puppy,” state biologist Todd Rinaldi said.
Last week, someone tackled a calf at an Anchorage mobile home park and tied it up with an electrical cord, the Anchorage Daily News reported.
Taking an animal into captivity is dangerous (and illegal in Alaska), and it can lead to animals being injured or worse, officials said.
In the Anchorage incident, someone called authorities to report that a cow moose with 2 calves was running around a mobile home park. At one point, one of the calves was separated from its mother.
“Evidently, some man took it upon himself to tackle it and tie it up with an electrical cord,” Anchorage area wildlife biologist Jessy Coltrane said. The calf ran off with the cord hanging from its neck, Coltrane confirmed.
“It’s people with big hearts that are well-meaning,” Coltrane said. “But sometimes being well-meaning and knowing what’s best for the animal are two different things.”
Moose are being born in Alaska this time of year, and biologists say people should leave the calves alone — even if they seem to have been abandoned by their mothers. Most of the time, the mothers eventually return to their young.
Calves in Ontario are also being birthed around this time and Ontarians should heed the advice of the Alaskan biologists.
– With files from Canadian Press
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