Moose thrive in Lithuania:
Rueters reports that a sizable
population of moose can be found on the Neringa Peninsula, a 30 mile stretch
of Lithuanian coastal wilderness. Under Soviet rule, it was a restricted
military zone. Although parts of many former Soviet bases are badly polluted,
they often had large forests, bogs, and wetlands that remained untouched
for decades.
Moose in the military:
Around 1700, the Swedish cavalry
experimented with moose as "combat vehicles." The animals have better stamina
and terrain mobility than horses and were expected to terrify enemy forces
who probably had never seen a moose. They were very good animals to ride
and could be trained just as well as horses in all respects but for one:
the moose is a smart animal and the trainers could never get them to quit
running away from artillery, muskets, pikes, and other weaponry.
Retrovirus killing Swedish moose:
A wasting disease has killed more
than one thousand moose in Sweden. A retrovirus has repeatedly been isolated
fromdiseased animals. The virus appears to be a member of the Oncovirinae
subfamily.
Clintons encounter moose:
AP reports that President and Mrs.
Clinton encountered two large moose while hiking in Grand Teton National
Park. The moose grazed peacefully by the trail maneuvering their antlers
through the trees while the presidential party headed from Cascade Canyon
towards Jenny Lake. Earlier in the vacation, Clinton mentioned seeing moose
in his weekly radio address to the nation.
Moose population statistics:
Moose are estimated to outnumber
the 32,000 residents of Canada's Yukon Territory about two to one.
Moose and politics:
AP reports Speaker Gingrich's moose-watching
vacation is being complicated by rumors of a presidential bid. Curiously,
President Clinton will be in New Hampshire at the same time. It was not
indicated if the President also is seeking moose.
ELF radiation and moose:
Reuters reports elk are now roaming
wild in Wisconsin for the first time since 1866. The herd was moved from
Chequamegon National Forest in Michigan to a site near Clam Lake, Wisconsin.
Clam Lake is the site of the extreme low frequency radio transmitter used
by the military to send messages to submerged nuclear submarines.
Moose takes helicopter ride:
AP reports that a yearling moose
was chased by dogs onto the ice in Conception Bay, Newfoundland. Wildlife
officials rescued the moose from a small ice floe by a helicopter lift.
The moose was tranquillized before the trip and described as "a little
bruised and woozy" when it was released.
Tracking moose by radio:
AP reports that Michigan state
wildlife biologists use collars containing radio transmitters to track
the rapidly growing herd in the Upper Peninsula. To attach the collars,
the moose are tranquilized with carfentanil which is then reversed with
naltrexone. The moose are left in a state described as "kind of like a
bad hangover." There are estimated to be 300-500 moose in the region.
Speaker Gingrich seeks moose:
AP reports the thing House Speaker
Gingrich most wants to see while vacationing in New Hampshire is a moose.
His host, U.S. Representative Bill Zeliff, owns an inn popular with Republican
campaigners. According to Zeliff, "He has this thing about seeing a moose
and, by God, I have guaranteed that this time he'll see a moose."
Moose stress factors:
Reuters reports an urban influx
of moose in Alaska. Moose suffer additional stresses in urban areas from
car horns, barking dogs, and kids throwing snowballs at them. A spokesman
for the Department of Fish and Game advises drivers, "You do need to give
moose a wide berth."
Moose sequences in Genbank:
On 1 Jan 1995, the first moose
sequence from a nuclear gene appeared in Genbank. Exon 2 from the MHC class
II Dr-beta gene was sequenced from 9 European and North American moose.
In Genbank release 82, the only
DNA sequence from Alces alces americana was the 3' end of the cytochrome
b gene. The entry, AALMTCYTOB, was the first in the mammal section (gbmam.seq).
Moose and the stock market:
Reuters reports that elk (European
moose) hunting season could be having a negative impact on the Swedish
stock market. According to one broker, "Everybody is gone. Maybe they are
hunting elk or something, but they certainly aren't in this market."
Moose on the loose:
AP reports an 800 pound male moose
dove 20 feet into a lake in a Maine rock quarry. A state wildlife biologist
said, "If you've ever seen a moose jump off the diving board, it makes
quite a splash." The moose was lifted by crane from the water. It was released
in a marshy area and was last seen trotting off into the woods.
Reuters reports moose are thriving
in New England in record numbers. A wildlife biologist with the New Hampshire
Fish and Game Department said they are "streaming over the land." For the
first time, moose are establishing resident populations in Connecticut.
UPI reports a growing number of
moose sightings in Iowa, most recently near North Liberty in Johnson County.
Even though their natural habitat is well north of Iowa, moose are protected
by state law.
Reuters reports a moose on the
loose in a Montreal suburb. The Laval, Quebec police believe the moose
to be a 400kg female in search of a mate. Moose are sighted in the area
once or twice a year.