This endangered Mainland Moose was actually hungry and there was ample food for him at this suburb at the edge of woods. He was just being a Moose, not 'on the loose', as described. Comment to the CBC post:
By the nature of Moose being wild animals, the headline 'Moose on the Loose' and the implication that a moose in a suburb is described as somehow 'loose' perpetuates disrespectful and fearful attitudes to wildlife. There are many headlines describing 'moose on the loose' across the country at various times, and, though the words rhyme and it makes for a cute phrase, this kind of media creates a culture of misunderstanding. A missed part of the story here is how many people were trying to get a photo of the animal and stressing it to the point of charging. There was also little mention of the fact that it took three shots to hit the 700 pound animal with a tranquilizer gun. The moose that was accidentally in the suburb because it can't see the line between habitat and human habitat so stay away is an endangered species on Mainland Nova Scotia. Please, more respect for wildlife in the Press, and more information to people about how to respond if wildlife is seen, not reward people because they got a great photo. We Nova Scotians need to relax a bit and stop responding to wildlife as if it is scary to see, or doesn't belong in our human world.
It was a Moose just being a Moose, not an escaped tiger from a zoo. We can do a better job sharing the world and part of doing that is how we respond to and talk about wildlife in our midst.
Thanks.
