Moose will soon be killed in two national parks in Newfoundland, with officials saying the population of the animals is destroying forests and habitat for other species.
Parks Canada is expected to outline more details on Wednesday of the cull that will be allowed later this year at Gros Morne National Park in western Newfoundland, and Terra Nova National Park in eastern Newfoundland.
But in a statement, Parks Canada said extensive monitoring has shown the very health of the forests in the parks — where hunting of moose and other animals is forbidden — is now at risk.
"Their numbers have increased spectacularly since [introduction in the early 20th century] because they lack a primary predator, there are no common moose diseases here, and the boreal forest provides an ideal habitat," the statement said.
"Today, moose populations in these national parks are greater than what the forests can support. As a result, areas once dominated by trees are being converted to grassland or shrub barrens and forest diversity is dramatically decreasing."
Officials have not yet announced how many animals will be allowed to be taken in the program, which will be co-ordinated in tandem with the annual fall moose hunt in Newfoundland.
Parks Canada said similar measures have successfully been taken involving deer in protected areas in Ontario and B.C.
The move is not a surprise. In its own literature distributed to park patrons in recent years, Parks Canada has warned of moose overpopulation and its effects on habitat.
Last year, the Crown agency said a cull was in the works.
As many as 150,000 moose have been estimated to roam the woods and bogs of Newfoundland. The provincial government has come under fire for moose management policies, particularly involving moose-vehicle collisions. A class action lawsuit has been launched on behalf of victims of such crashes.
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