Moose on the Loose

[M@rk]

Did anyone see Natural world on bbc2 last night. I found it a fascinating program, it was about the city of Anchorage a city on the edge of pristine wilderness and a lot of that wilderness comes into town. At the landfill site they have eagles like we have seagulls

Natural World

Moose on the Loose.

Nature documentary. Wildlife biologists Rick Sinnott and Jessy Coltrane believe dangerous animals can live happily in the biggest city in Alaska. Anchorage is the test ground for this experiment where human residents are trying to share their parks and gardens with 60 grizzly bears, 200 black bears, 1000 moose and several packs of wolves. The many encounters between man and beast are often entertaining, but the potential for tragedy is great. Can Rick and Jessy keep the peace?

 

[bushwacker bob]

And Ravens that have adapted to live of McDonalds.
Alaska- the last great wilderness eh?

 

[Matt Weir]

I saw it too Mark and yes, really enjoyed it. Was quite bizzare seeing the moose and black bears walking around town but obviously the locals were used to it.

Shame on those idiots not taking precautions to secure their rubbish bins from the bears who eventually become so urbanised that they are seen as being a 'problem' animal and end up getting culled (very unfair really as it's man that is cutting directly into the bears territory with new builds yet it's the bear that becomes the problem ).

I laughed when they were driving down the street with the moose calf on the girls lap when they were trying to reunite the lost calf with its mum, "people are staring" she said, and I'm thinking 'no s***' lol.

 

[C_Claycomb]

Never mind the ravens...most city dumps have seagulls...Anchorage has bald eagles

I can imagine getting more than a little irate at having moose de-barking the ornamental trees in my garden, especially given the size of a mooses foot. like shire horses with antlers.

The scene with the moose calf had me in stitches.

Natural World is doing some good stuff!

 

[Tengu]

But a muntjac stands a better chance of slipping in...

(I saw a moose trophy in an antiques shop once, scary.)

Why should a city dweller share his territory with an animal though? its not like there is a shortage of wilderness in Alaska, is there?

Natives (who were not urbanised but who certainly at times lived in settlements of several thousand people.) would not have, they would have thought the idea absurd and rather hazardous.

 

[Don Redondo]

Why should a city dweller share his territory with an animal though? its not like there is a shortage of wilderness in Alaska, is there?

and? it's through a process of nibble nibble nibble that all wild places are lost to the urban landscape.

I see it every day 'why can't I build that house/factory/dam/delete as appropriate there.? It's not as if there's no wild bits/woodland/wetland anywhere else around here, I only need an plot/acre/hectare'

Joni Mitchell's words were prophetic indeed with that sort of attitude:

'Took all the trees and put them in a tree museum, charged the people a dollar and a half just to see'em
Don't always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till it's gone.
Paved paradise, put up a parking lot'

 

[Matt Weir]

Why should a city dweller share his territory with an animal though? its not like there is a shortage of wilderness in Alaska, is there?

Hi Tengu,

Not sure if you saw the program but the animals actively came into the city from the woods over winter as they had cottoned on to the fact that it is easier to get a bite to eat.

 

[Tengu]

...And presumably there are less hunters in the city...

 

[Matt Weir]

...And presumably there are less hunters in the city...

lol, I can see it now. All the hunters are out in the woods freezing their bits off and all the animals are in town queueing up at the McDonalds drive through.