Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks defends decision to euthanize Billings moose

BILLINGS — Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officers defended their resolution to euthanize a moose that was operating free in Billings for the previous two months.

Robbie Seykora, appearing public info officer for the Billings-based area 5 of the company, mentioned Friday that FWP had hoped to keep away from killing the animal, however biologists have been fearful in regards to the unfold of illness from the moose, which was visibly struggling to stroll.

“After we begin stepping into, ‘Why didn’t the zoo take it?’ or, ‘Why didn’t we do that?’, with new legal guidelines that handed with (Persistent Losing Illness) and the unfold of illness, it’s very onerous to switch a cervid, a cervid being a member of the deer animal. Deer, moose, elk, issues like that. So it turns into very tough legally to try this,” Seykora mentioned. “With the unfold of illness, it has made it powerful to make that occur, is the actual reply. It simply wasn’t a risk.”

Persistent Losing Illness is an infectious illness mostly present in deer however can unfold amongst moose.

Timeline: The life and loss of life of the moose in Billings

Seykora added in a written assertion that the state did not deliver the moose to any wildlife rehabilitation heart out of issues that it might unfold illness to different animals and threaten wildlife populations.

“Bringing orphaned or injured (deer, moose or elk) right into a rehabilitation heart with the intent for later launch might introduce a illness into populations the place it was not current. As well as, these animals are likely to habituate rapidly and may trigger issues after launch,” Seykora wrote.

Seykora additionally blamed residents feeding the moose as a potential purpose for its poor well being.

“There are particular human meals that may trigger digestive issues in animals with a wild animal like a moose,” Seykora explains.

In a press launch revealed on FWP’s web site, the explanations acknowledged for euthanizing the animal have been as a result of moose being too sick and injured to stroll.

MTN reported the moose was sick and injured on Nov. 28, and the moose was euthanized three days in a while Dec. 1.

“We simply wished to provide it one of the best alternative. Primarily based off our veterinarians and wildlife specialists, a relocation of this moose wouldn’t have gone nicely for the moose. It’s type of within the forefront now and we all know it occurred,” Seykora explains. “It in all probability would have been the identical ending, simply out of the view of the general public.”

However some Billings residents disagree with FWP’s resolution.

Trevor O’Banion is an avid hunter and believes FWP dropped the ball with this moose.

“I feel it was a foul resolution. I really feel like they may have dealt with it lengthy earlier than they did,” O’Banion mentioned on Friday. “I’m a hunter firstly, however any hunter, true hunter, will let you know that the very first thing we care about, is the dispatching of recreation in an moral, clear means. And if we don’t dispatch the sport, we would like them to stay wound-free, go on and be simply fantastic. That is the place that ought to have went. This shouldn’t have ever received to the place it ended.”

O’Banion, a Billings resident, explains he has spent 30 days searching this 12 months and desires FWP would attain out to folks like him in conditions like this.

“I really feel like numerous FWP’s selections come from folks which are sitting behind a desk more often than not. They’re not asking folks like me,” O’Banion explains. “I spend numerous time exterior with the animals. They by no means speak to folks like me to get their enter, to get how they really feel in regards to the scenario.”

O’Banion believes motion might have been taken sooner to keep away from euthanizing the animal.

“I noticed some reporting of individuals saying a moose was too massive to tranquilize and transfer, which may be very false as a result of they tranquilize beef, cows, on a regular basis. Ranchers, to physician them if the scenario requires it clearly, and I really feel like this example did name for that,” O’Banion explains. “I get they wished it to go away by itself, which that may have been unbelievable. However he clearly received snug, proper? And I really feel like, possibly if he did get injured, in the event that they wouldn’t have waited so lengthy, that moose would have been simply fantastic.”

O’Banion is joined by a whole bunch of Billings and better Montana residents who’ve criticized the choice to euthanize on social media posts.

Seykora says the moose has been taken to the Wildlife Well being Lab in Bozeman for a full necropsy, which is an animal post-mortem. Outcomes ought to be prepared inside three to 4 weeks.

“Clearly not a choice that we like both. I feel it got here to a conclusion no one wished. We wished to provide the moose each alternative to go away city by itself,” Seykora explains.

However O’Banion believes FWP might have carried out extra to guard the animal.

“CWD is an issue, but it surely’s an issue in different components of the state, we haven’t seen it right here. So I really feel like that’s type of an excuse if I’m being fully trustworthy,” O’Banion says. “And I really feel like them saying it was ‘sick’, you already know sick and wounded and wanted to be euthanized, I really feel like that’s an excuse as nicely.”