NEW LIMERICK, Maine — An adult moose that fell through the ice on Nickerson Lake on Monday could not be saved by local game wardens.
Mark Latti, communications director for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, said Tuesday that local Game Warden James Gushee responded to a report of a full grown moose that had crashed through the ice and was trying to swim to safety.
“The ice there is very suspect at this point of the season,” Latti said. “The moose was in the middle of the lake, a couple hundred yards away, swimming in the icy water trying to get out. Assessing the situation, the most humane thing to do was to put the animal down.”
Latti said game wardens often have to make difficult judgments regarding animals. Because of the ice conditions, a rescue was not possible, he added.
“It is a difficult choice that biologists and Game Wardens sometimes have to make,” Latti said. “What is the most humane thing to do? We don’t enjoy that part, but it was the best solution in this case.”
A calf was with the adult moose, but that animal did not fall into the water and was able to trot off the ice, Latti said.
Latti added that within the next month, adult moose often “shoo off” their calves from the previous year as they prepare to give birth to new calves.
“It’s the time of year where food is becoming more available as the snow disappears,” he said. “So in another month, the animal would be independent anyway. It is very likely that the calf will survive.”
