WILDLIFE -- Kids will get the real scoop on the largest member of the deer family this month as state wildlife biologists have scheduled 45-minute "On the Trail of the Moose" programs at Spokane Public Libraries.

The free programs for K-5th graders will include moose facts and a chance to makes some moose craft.

"With moose showing up more and more frequently in town, we hope to give kids -- and adults -- a better understanding of them and how we can live safely together," said Carrie Lowe of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Lowe and Kile Westerman will inform the kids based on their professional experience. Lowe is a wildlife biologist who's strapped GPS collars on tranquilized moose for research while Westerman specializes in dealing with moose that cause damage to private property or pose danger to people.

"We will be talking about moose biology, including their unique physical characteristics, diet, behavior and how we study them," Lowe said.

"We will also talk about what to do if you see a moose, whether it is out in the woods or in your own backyard.  We will have antlers, a skull and hide for kids to see and touch."

Antlers are the fastest growing bone of any mammal, and a bull moose can add up to a pound of bone a day to his antlers during the spring-summer growing season, Lowe said.

The programs are set for:

• Thursday, Oct. 12, 4 p.m. – Hillyard
• Saturday, Oct. 14, 11:30 a.m. – Downtown
• Oct. 18, 4 p.m. – South Hill
• Oct. 19, 4 p.m. – East Side
• Oct. 24, 4 p.m. – Indian Trail
• Oct. 26, 4 p.m. – Shadle

---

---