Angelika and Peter Langen started the Northern Lights Wildlife Society over 38 years ago, inspired by a heartbreaking story of two orphaned moose calves. Since then, the Langens have successfully raised and released numerous moose back into the wild, with post-release monitoring showing these animals not only surviving but thriving and reproducing.
Angelika says often they get moose whose mothers have been struck by trains or cars, leaving the calf unable to care for itself.
“They can't survive on their own. They're still too young. They need milk because they're not eating solids to an amount that they can survive on. So most of them are coming at the end of May, beginning of June. Once you head into the fall, then the calves are big enough to survive on their own, should the mother get hit, then. So it's the really young ones that we would take in, and then we just provide them with a safe environment until they're old enough to look after themselves.”
The BC Government invested millions in 2018 into moose assessment and surveys. They concluded that calf survival was an important factor in population trends. Initial findings found that early calf mortality appears to be a main contributing factor in population declines. The other big contributing factor seems to be habitat decline.
Recent shifts in the area of the Northern Lights Wildlife Society have resulted in a new challenge. The moose they release have become targets for some neighbors and local hunters.
“We had moose shot on neighbors properties. So it's not feasible anymore to do the slow releases because we're basically just risking a higher death rate.”
The Wildlife Society has come up with a solution for this problem. Fencing ten acres of their property for protection and purchasing a livestock trailer to transport and release the young moose in safer environments.
“This is our only option to continue the program. And the program is really important. the moose populations have decreased up to 70% in some areas in the province. And, so I think each calf that we rescue, because the mother has been hit by a train or car, is really important for the population.”
Langen says that sometimes, calves who have been released come back to visit later in life.
“And the females that have returned have proven that they do a lot for the population by having 1 or 2 babies every year that they are then contributing. So it's not just the individual animals that we're saving, but we're also helping to stabilize populations.”
In connection with Giving Tuesday, every dollar that gets donated to the cause before December 3rd will be matched up to $78,000. This society is hoping to raise a $250,000 to fund the Moose Project. Donations can be made at www.wildlifeshelter.com.
