Moose "Emil" Enjoys Cooler Temperatures in the Bohemian Forest
"He is doing well, it is cooler, he is also more active during the day, covering several kilometers a day in the right direction," said Claudia Bieber, head of the Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, on Tuesday about moose "Emil". She knows this because moose "Emil" was fitted with an ear tag and a transmitter - not on the ear, but on the antlers - during the anesthesia.
Experts do not share exact location data of moose "Emil"
Ideally, moose "Emil's" path should lead him to the moose population living in the Czech National Park Šumava, attracted by the scent of females during the current rutting season. "In any case, he is currently not moving back to the central region of Upper Austria," the scientist revealed. It was deliberately decided "that only a very small circle of people from the scientific community has access to the current GPS data of 'Emil'," said the responsible regional councilor Michaela Langer-Weninger (ÖVP). The expert trio reports exclusively to her and to the SOKO-Elch - but without passing on the exact location data, because moose "Emil" should be allowed to be a completely wild animal again. He is currently returning to his natural rhythm, as the increased daytime activity shows.
GPS transmitter attached to antlers of moose "Emil"
The small ear tag identifies moose "Emil" and indicates that he was anesthetized. "This means his meat is no longer suitable for consumption," said Bieber, noting that moose are protected year-round in Austria and should no longer be hunted in Poland - "Emil's" country of origin. This has allowed the populations there to recover. The GPS transmitter is attached to the antlers. "It doesn't bother him, and next spring he will shed it with the antlers." The battery only lasts 30 days anyway, as longer observation would have required a lengthy research application and an animal testing permit.
(APA/Red)
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