VOLUME 11, ISSUE 9      DECEMBER 2009

ANIMALS IN YOUR BACKYARD
Moose

Moose are the largest members of the deer family and one of the largest land mammals in North America. About the same size as a large horse, standing 6-7 feet tall at the shoulder. Males are generally larger than females and have large antlers that can measure up to 6.5 feet wide from tip-to-tip. Making them the largest antlers carried by any mammal, worldwide. They have thick, brown fur that ranges from light brown to dark brown (almost black) in color. Moose also have a long head with a long, flexible nose and upper lip and a flap of skin hangs beneath the neck.

Moose were once common in the Northern Lower and Upper Peninsulas of Michigan. Hunting, habitat destruction and increased white-tailed deer population led to the reduction of the moose population. By 1900, moose had become extinct in the Lower Peninsula and the population in the Upper Peninsula had declined drastically. In the 1930s a relocation of 71 moose to the Upper and Lower Peninsulas (including two to the Detroit Zoo) resulted in frequent sightings initially, but by the 1940s the population had once

Habitat: Forested areas with moist conditions (lakes, ponds, and swamps). Diet: Twigs, bark, roots and the shoots of woody plants, and aquatic plants in the summer. Lifespan: 8-12 years Map: Throughout northern North America, Alaska, Canada, the northeastern United States and as far south as the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.

again declined to a low level and the relocation effort was judged a failure. In the 1980s, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) relocated 59 moose from Ontario, Canada to Marquette County, Michigan. This small herd has been growing slowly and has expanded its range in the Upper Peninsula.

Michigan moose recovery efforts continue and the species is listed as special concern by the Michigan DNR. However, in the eastern United States moose populations have been expanding in recent years and moose populations introduced in Michigan and Colorado are doing well. If the moose populations continue to grow, this majestic animal may one day be seen as part of your Backyard Zoo.