Moose Takes Up Residence

A wild moose has become a neighborhood attraction in the Arrowhead Point housing development near Mead High School.

Mary Trosco first spotted the moose on Nov. 1 in her neighbor’s yard.

Since then it has made appearances in back yards, at bus stops and, most frequently, near crab apple trees in the neighborhood.

Some of Trosco’s neighbors are discouraged by the moose’s diet of crab apples and landscape vegetation. Others are tossing apples to the moose when they spot it.

A couple of people have even been charged by the moose after invading its comfort zone. No one was hurt.

“We were more excited about the fact that it is a moose and forgetting that it is a wild animal,” Trosco said.

Madonna Luers, spokesperson for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, said moose sightings are not uncommon in the area of north Spokane near the Little Spokane River. She said they are attracted by plant life and water.

“It’s a natural habitat for them,” Luers said.

If you live near a stream or have a swimming pool, chances are you’re going to see a moose, she said.

Luers said the moose are gradually losing their fear of people and end up hanging around homes.

Some folks who call to report a moose are tickled by their presence. Others are just ticked off.

“When you’ve got a moose eating trees and shrubs and pooping on the grass and everything, it can get kind of irritating,” Luers said.

Luers advises people to keep their distance if they do get a visit from these “beautiful, but huge and potentially dangerous animals.” Also, keep dogs confined to avoid a confrontation with the moose.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife warns people not to hand feed moose, Luers said.

“It seems like a cute idea,” she said, “but they lose their fear of people and approach them for food. If you don’t have any they could be dangerous.”

The Department of Fish and Wildlife has an on-going study tracking roaming moose. The department generally tries to “gently harass” them out of neighborhoods with paint-ball pellets, minus the paint.

“It is about as hard as a pinch,” Luers said.

In extreme cases, such as a moose on the loose closer into town, or near heavy traffic, Luers said they might have to tranquilize and move it to a safer environment.