A male moose is looking for a female. Love long walks, only time. Vegetarian.

Residents of neighboring cities of Lublin, Stanley and Owen over the past three days have reported sighting of the large ungulate mammal – and the State Department of Natural Resources has confirmed that moose are moving through the area towards the mainland. 'East.

Wildlife biologists have said that the most likely reason for the bull to be in the area is that he is looking for a partner.

"From time to time, this happens," said Kay Brockman-Mederas, a wildlife biologist from Shawano County, where a moose was sighted in 2016. "Sometimes dominant males hunt young bulls and seek new territory. find a companion.

"We receive some moose sporadically from Minnesota or the Upper Peninsula of Michigan," said Jed Hopp, a wildlife biologist from Clark County.

Observations as far south as central Wisconsin, however, "are rare," said Brockman-Mederas.

This is the time of year when moose travel, looking for partners. In 2016, a video on Facebook showed a moose in downtown Tomahawk at the fall motorcycle rally.

And there have been other sightings of moose in recent years in north central Wisconsin. In 2016, there were two sightings in Lincoln County (Merrill, Tomahawk) and two in Taylor County (Rib Lake, near Greenwood). There were also two observations in Taylor County and one in Shawano County in 2015. In total, there were 32 moose sightings in seven counties in 2016 and 24 in 10 counties in 2015, according to the report. Website of the DNR.

Moose were originally from Wisconsin, but it is quite rare to see them today in the central part of the state. They are in Canada, Minnesota and the United States. in Michigan commonly.

Why are moose so rare in Wisconsin?

"Moose can have white-tailed deer brain worms," ​​Brockman-Maderas said. "Whitetail is much more prevalent in Wisconsin than it used to be, this worm parasite really reduces moose in Wisconsin, it does not affect the whitetail, but it's very damaging to the whitetail. moose. "

Brockman-Maderas said that moose can travel a long way in one day. Moose generally return to the north if they can not find a partner in a few days.

Hopp and Brockman-Maderas both encourage those who saw this moose to go to the DNR website and fill in a report on large mammals so that scientists can record the sighting and follow the report. ;animal.

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