On the trail of roaming moose

Press, 10 March 1987, Page 43

On the trail of roaming moose

PA Wellington Ministry of Agriculture scientists are about to make one of their strangest investigations... and the results could establish whether moose still roam remote parts of Fiordland. Possible moose droppings found by a Wellington tramper, Alby Frampton, were given recently to the Deerstalkers’ Association for verification. The association’s executive director, Mr Shelby Grant, said he hoped to arrange an evaluation panel of scientific colleagues this week at the Ministry of Agriculture at Invermay. He was cautious about the find when he first saw a newspaper report on February 9. The findings, if positive, would be of “real significance,” Mr Grant

said. “If positive, we will then try to negotiate with the Conservation Department (to be formed on April 1) to place a moratorium op hunting and perhaps even on entry into the area in order to make indepth research and surveys.” Under the National Parks Act the moose is “up for extermination” because it is an introduced animal. Moose were imported to New Zealand from Canada early this century. Sightings were reported as late as 1978.