November 19, 2024 Sandra Kinney # Urban wildlife: When large wildlife and communities mix, it often ends poorly for the animals
A bull moose takes up residence in an upscale, suburban neighborhood, and Idaho Fish and Game staff gets multiple reports from homeowners.
This story has a longer and shorter version because it ’ s a case study in the complexity of managing an individual animal and people ’ s attitudes and expectations about what Fish and Game should do, or not do, when a large, wild animal enters their neighborhood.
“ Fish and Game staff and the community were both pleased with the outcome, but it was a long process and it ’ s fair to say there wasn ’ t always 100 percent agreement with every decision we made,” Fish and Game ’ s Southwest Region Supervisor Josh Royce said. “ We can ’ t guarantee every outcome will work out this way, but we can guarantee we will always take into account people ’ s safety along with the welfare of the animal, and that will always be a tricky balancing act.”