An Alberta man is defending his decision to feed a young moose that’s been visiting his property for months, despite a wildlife official’s warning that doing so puts himself and others at risk.
James Lienau says he doesn’t think the moose, whom he’s named Merry, would survive if he cut off its weekly supply of 50 pounds of carrots, which he hand-feeds to the animal outside his home. Merry started visiting Lienau’s property two months ago to lick salt off his truck, and has gradually become accustomed to his presence.
“He must have been an abandoned calf or his mother maybe got hit or something,” Lienau told CTV Edmonton.
Their relationship started with Lienau leaving out a salt lick so Merry would leave his truck alone. Soon, he was feeding the animal carrots by hand, and petting it on the head.
“Every day you get a little closer,” he said. “To get to this point where I can actually pet him now, that’s a lot of fun.”
Feeding a wild animal is not illegal as long as it's not confined, but experts at Alberta Environment and Parks say Lienau’s actions could be dangerous for both himself and the moose.
“If (the moose) is threatened or provoked in any way, then it can result in him attacking or charging someone,” Delaney Anderson, a wildlife biologist with AEP, told CTV Edmonton.
She added that the moose will not learn the foraging behaviour necessary to survive in the wild if it’s relying on Lienau for food.
Lienau says he’ll stop feeding the animal by hand, but he doesn’t plan to cut off its food supply.
“I’m saving his life,” he said. “He eats 50 pounds of carrots a week. Without that, I don’t know how he’ll keep going.”
With files from CTV Edmonton
