The Nature of Things

Moose: A Year in the Life of a Twig Eater (55x1)

: 15, 2015

High up in Canada’s Rockies, by a crystal-clear lake rimmed with old-growth forest, a moose is born. At the best of times, the odds are stacked against this leggy 35-pounder surviving its first year, as normally less than 50 percent do, but now that number is sinking even lower. Moose populations across many parts of North America are in steep decline and scientists believe one big reason is that fewer moose calves are surviving their first year. If the population continues on this trajectory, scientists believe that moose could be gone from many parts of North America within the next 50 years. It has never been more important to understand what happens in the first year of a moose’s life.