Anchorage moose doing OK on three legs

ANCHORAGE — A crippled cow moose in west Anchorage is showing such a knack for survival that state biologists have so far avoided the normal course of putting her down.

The moose, which is missing about 12 inches of her right hind leg, also is nursing what appears to be a large and healthy calf, according to Rick Sinnott, the state's Anchorage-area wildlife biologist.

"She seems to be getting around fairly well on three legs, although she's a little skinnier than she should be this time of year," Sinnott said. "A complicating factor is she still has a calf and, the last time we looked, the calf was still nursing."

Moose typically lose weight during the winter because they have less food to eat, and it may be necessary to euthanize the moose then, said Jessy Coltrane, the assistant Anchorage-area biologist.

"There's no need [now] for a pre-emptive strike," Coltrane said. "Her body condition looks good."

Many concerned residents phone the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to report seeing the three-legged moose, which may have been injured in a vehicle collision sometime this year, biologists said.

The moose apparently also has drawn the attention of bulls, and biologists speculate that she could mate again.

Biologists know of a cow moose in Eagle River several years ago that was missing an entire rear leg and yet produced calves for several years, Coltrane said.