Update 12:24 PM: According to the MARTY MOOSE of NEW MILFORD facebook page (see below for the link), there is no way to confirm that the moose that was killed earlier todayin New Britain was, in fact, "Marty". There were reports of Marty heading from New Milford to Southbury to New Britain early this morning (though that would mean a nearly 50 mile trek - about an hour if he was driving a truck across I-84). Fans of Marty's are hopeful that he is still alive and will resurface in the area.
Update 10:30 AM: In a sad turn of events, it has been reported that "Marty the Moose" was trying to cross a highway at rush hour and has been euthanized, according to the state's environmental agency. Conservation officers shot the moose because it was trying to cross Route 72, said Dwayne Gardner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. A team of DEEP workers were called to the scene and could have tranquilized the moose, but they hadn't arrived in time to ensure the large animal would not go on the highway. Police were concerned that the moose would be hit by a car and injure motorists. Marty was 100 feet from the highway at the time of death.
It sounds like the title to an endearing children's book, but this moose is causing quite a stir in the New Milford area. Dubbed "Marty Moose", this fellow has been found wandering around the main streets of New Milford for a few days now. Dozens of people have reported sightings of the moose and he has since become so famous that he even has his own Facebook page.
According to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environment Protection (DEEP), "With a growing moose population in neighboring Massachusetts and the propensity for moose to disperse over long distances, it was only a matter of time before a resident moose population became established in Connecticut. Annual sightings of cows with calves since 2000 confirm the establishment and expansion of a resident moose population. By 2007, the Wildlife Division was receiving about 60 sighting reports a year and had documented 19 moose-vehicle collisions. The current moose population is estimated at just over 100 animals." Although generally slow moving and sedentary, moose can become aggressive and move surprisingly quickly if angered or startled. Their mating season in the autumn can lead to spectacular fights between males competing for a female.
Interesting Moose Facts:
- Moose are the largest members of the deer family, Cervidae. Their tracks are heart-shaped, like a white-tailed deer, but measure from 4 to over 6 inches long and 3.5-5.75 inches wide.
- The moose gets its common name from the Algonquins, which means "eater of twigs" and "one who strips the bark off of trees." Its scientific name, Alces, means "elk."
- Moose have a strong sense of smell and hearing but their eyesight is poor. They are very fast runners, and have been clocked at 35 to 40 miles per hour.
- An average moose can eat 40 to 50 pounds of food each day. A nursing female may eat over 60 pounds of food each day. It is not unusual for a moose to strip bark from trees when food sources are low.
- Moose can live up to their mid-twenties but are susceptible to parasites, disease, malnutrition, and, in populated areas, collisions with automobiles. In New England, there are no predators capable of taking a healthy adult moose, but elsewhere in their range, grizzly bears and wolves are predators. In New England, regulated hunting seasons by special permit occur in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
If you have seen this celebrity moose, send us a photo at newfairfield@hamlethub.com!
You can find him on facebook at Marty Moose of New Milford
(photo courtesy of the Marty Moose of New Milford facebook page)