SASKATOON – Four people died last year and 370 were injured in Saskatchewan after colliding with wildlife, according to SGI.
The Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation (SWF) says many of these collisions were with moose, as they’re seeing more and more of them travelling south in the province.
“They’ve obviously done very well, there’s no predators, they’ve obviously found a food source,” said Mike Gollop with the Ministry of Environment.
“They’re able to survive the winters, so they’ve expanded exponentially and that’s created some issues.”
The province is committed to reducing moose numbers in southern Saskatchewan with liberal hunting quotas this season, but experts say it’s hard to keep up with the growing numbers.
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From November 2012 to April 2013, more than 220 collision claims involving moose were reported, almost as many as the entire year of 2008. Vehicle damage costs for 2013 are estimated to be about $3.3 million.
Assistant Professor at the U of S College of Agriculture Dr. Ryan Brook is working on a project tracking the movements of collared-moose over a four-year period, particularly along Highway 11, which is considered a hot spot.
“What it does, it has a GPS unit built inside the collar and gives us a location every hour, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said Brook.
His team of researchers is hoping to develop a long-term moose management strategy.
“The idea is to better understand the ecology of moose…look at their movements, when they cross highways…when they approach or come into towns or cities,” said Brook.
SWF, SGI and the Ministry of Environment has undertaken a new public safety awareness campaign called “Moose on the Loose.”
The focus is to remind drivers to slow down and watch for wildlife crossing the roads.
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