VIDEO: Moose with twin calves caught on trail cams in northern Minn.
VOYAGEURS NATIONAL PARK, Minn. -- A trail camera from the Voyageurs Wolf Project captured a rare sight up north, a mama moose and her twin calves taking a stroll. This trail is about 5 miles south of Voyageurs National Park near Kabetogama, Minnesota.
"Wow!", said Flora from Little Falls, as she looked at the video with her brother Loren, "That is pretty cool," said Loren, "I like how they kind of prance along," said Flora.
Voyageurs Wolf Project shared the video on Twitter.
On average, calves in northern Minnesota are born around May 11-12. Recent research on moose calves in Minnesota determined that 34% of calves survive to reach 9 months old. However, 50% of calf deaths occur by July and most moose calf deaths occur in the first 50 days of life.
— Voyageurs Wolf Project (@VoyaWolfProject) September 20, 2022
Siblings Everett and Avery, from Rochester, couldn't believe how big the moose are.
"They're cute!" said Avery.
"The babies are cute, but they're also huge," said Everett.
Moose calves are typically born in May in Minnesota, making them approximately 5 months old. According to the Journal for Wildlife Management, these calves are already beating the odds, because 50% of calves don't survive the first 50 days of life.
"They're rare and hard to find," said Loren.
The Minnesota Zoo says that the last 15 years, the moose population in the area has dropped by 47%, leaving only about 100 moose left in northwestern Minnesota, and contributing factors include disease, natural predators, and climate change. (As of 2022, the DNR says the total moose population in the state is 4,700, which is unchanged from 2020.)
"We don't want an animal as popular as moose to go extinct," said Everett.
The Minnesota DNR is contributing to conservation efforts by studying the moose population in our state through GPS tracking and disease screening, studying their stability every year of the largest mammal in Minnesota.
"I think that's good for the upcoming moose population," said Everett.
If you can't make to Voyageurs National Park to possibly see a moose in the wild, you can find them at the Minnesota Zoo. On extra hot days, like Tuesday, you'll likely find them in the shade.
They've created a website with everything they've learned so far.