In the northwest Calgary community of Arbour Lake, two young moose were recently relocated by Alberta Fish and Wildlife following an incident where one of the moose kicked a resident’s dog. The moose calves, a male and a female both around 1.5 years old, were inadvertently in the backyard when the resident’s dogs were let out, resulting in minor injuries to one of the dogs. With assistance from the Calgary Fire Department, the moose were safely taken away on Tuesday and released near the Harold Creek wildlife corridor northwest of Cochrane.
A similar occurrence involving a mother moose and her calf happened earlier this year in the community of Scenic Acres. Those two moose were also moved to the Harold Creek wildlife corridor after the mother moose displayed aggressive behavior towards a dog walker.
Wildlife biologist Sara Jordan-McLachlan, specializing in human-wildlife conflicts in Calgary, noted that moose are frequently spotted in natural habitats like Fish Creek Provincial Park and Weaselhead Flats, as well as certain suburban areas in the northwest and southwest. Moose are known to inhabit Calgary, both residing and migrating through the city via wildlife corridors such as those in the Tsuut’ina Nation region.
According to data from iNaturalist, over 300 moose sightings have been reported in and around Calgary since 2020. The Miistakis Institute’s wildlife monitoring program revealed that from 2017 to 2022, 242 moose were captured on remote cameras within the city, accounting for a small portion of the total deer species detections.
Jordan-McLachlan cautioned against interacting with moose and emphasized the importance of avoiding close contact with them, regardless of their age or gender. She advised people to maintain a safe distance and keep dogs leashed when encountering moose. The monitoring program indicated that moose activity in Calgary is most active in the evening hours, peaking from 6-9 p.m. and being least active from midnight to 4 a.m.