The program began when it was noticed that too much of the foliage in Gros Morne was being eaten. Estimates in 2008 put the number of moose within the park at somewhere between 4,500 and 5,000. Parks Canada resource manager Peter Deering said the same issue took place in Terra Nova Park on the east coast, where moose had a severe impact on the forest.
“We’re looking to see what happens, how the moose redistribute themselves, and if they focus on the remaining patches of good, high-quality forest,” Deering said.
The collars send signals to a satellite, and the date is put into a mapping program to show exactly where in the park the moose travel. Officials will review the dates when the data comes in and determine the next course of action.
Deering said the program should not send the message that the park will be moose-free.
“We want the population to reduce to help the forest grow, but we still want (moose) in the park,” he said. “There is no intention of getting rid of them. They are an important part of the ecosystem, and a tourist draw as well.”
Last year about 700 licences were issued to hunters to take moose out of the park in another effort to control the population. Hunting ended back in January.
