Columbus Zoo welcomes 3 orphaned Alaskan moose calves

WHIO Staff
·2 min read

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium welcomed three orphaned Alaskan moose calves this week.

After a 3,900-mile trip, the calves arrived to the zoo Tuesday and are settling into the “the moose yard” in the North America region, the zoo said.

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“They are exploring the sights and smells of their new habitat and meeting their new keepers,” the zoo said.

The calves, named Bert, Scarlet and Violet, are estimated to be roughly five months old.

All three calves were all found by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and were being cared for at the Alaska Zoo prior before arriving to the Columbus Zoo.

“I’m so glad the calves made it safely to their new home. Our keepers and interns worked very hard with them all summer. Watching them grow and thrive from wobbly orphans into strong little moose was rewarding, and everyone here felt the bittersweet of sending them to their new home. I know they will have the best care and be loved by everyone there,” said Sam Lavin, Curator at the Alaska Zoo.

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Bert was found running along the beach near Nikiski, Alaska, the zoo said. According to the zoo, staff from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game suspect he fell off the bluff and became separated from his mother. His mother was not located. Bert is the largest of the calves weighing more than 300 pounds.

The zoo says Violet’s mother rejected her for unknown reasons. She was thin and dehydrated when she arrived to the Alaska Zoo.

Circumstances contributing to Scarlet’s arrival at the Alaska Zoo are unknown. “She flourished and is now at a healthy weight of more than 200 pounds,” the zoo said.

According to the zoo, about 70 percent of the animals in the North America region were either displaced by natural disasters, like a wildfire, orphaned, rescued or rehabbed due to injuries.

The zoo says the calves will be under mandatory quarantine before keepers introduce them to Strawberry, another moose at the Columbus Zoo that was rescued last year by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.